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Riek NT, Susam BT, Hudac CM, Conner CM, Akcakaya M, Yun J, White SW, Mazefsky CA, Gable PA. Feedback Related Negativity Amplitude is Greatest Following Deceptive Feedback in Autistic Adolescents. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:3376-3386. [PMID: 37393370 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06038-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to investigate if feedback related negativity (FRN) can capture instantaneous elevated emotional reactivity in autistic adolescents. A measurement of elevated reactivity could allow clinicians to better support autistic individuals without the need for self-reporting or verbal conveyance. The study investigated reactivity in 46 autistic adolescents (ages 12-21 years) completing the Affective Posner Task which utilizes deceptive feedback to elicit distress presented as frustration. The FRN event-related potential (ERP) served as an instantaneous quantitative neural measurement of emotional reactivity. We compared deceptive and distressing feedback to both truthful but distressing feedback and truthful and non-distressing feedback using the FRN, response times in the successive trial, and Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI) reactivity scores. Results revealed that FRN values were most negative to deceptive feedback as compared to truthful non-distressing feedback. Furthermore, distressing feedback led to faster response times in the successive trial on average. Lastly, participants with higher EDI reactivity scores had more negative FRN values for non-distressing truthful feedback compared to participants with lower reactivity scores. The FRN amplitude showed changes based on both frustration and reactivity. The findings of this investigation support using the FRN to better understand emotion regulation processes for autistic adolescents in future work. Furthermore, the change in FRN based on reactivity suggests the possible need to subgroup autistic adolescents based on reactivity and adjust interventions accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan T Riek
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Busra T Susam
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Caitlin M Hudac
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
- Department of Psychology and Carolina Autism and Neurodevelopment (CAN) Research Center, University of South Carolina, Colombia, SC, USA
| | - Caitlin M Conner
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Murat Akcakaya
- Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jane Yun
- Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Department, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Susan W White
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Carla A Mazefsky
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Philip A Gable
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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Beaurenaut M, Kovarski K, Destais C, Mennella R, Grèzes J. Spontaneous instrumental approach-avoidance learning in social contexts in autism. Mol Autism 2024; 15:33. [PMID: 39085896 PMCID: PMC11293119 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00610-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are characterized by atypicalities in social interactions, compared to Typically Developing individuals (TD). The social motivation theory posits that these difficulties stem from diminished anticipation, reception, and/or learning from social rewards. Although learning from socioemotional outcomes is core to the theory, studies to date have been sparse and inconsistent. This possibly arises from a combination of theoretical, methodological and sample-related issues. Here, we assessed participants' ability to develop a spontaneous preference for actions that lead to desirable socioemotional outcomes (approaching/avoiding of happy/angry individuals, respectively), in an ecologically valid social scenario. We expected that learning abilities would be impaired in ASC individuals, particularly in response to affiliative social feedback. METHOD We ran an online social reinforcement learning task, on two large online cohorts with (n = 274) and without (n = 290) ASC, matched for gender, age and education. Participants had to indicate where they would sit in a waiting room. Each seat was associated with different probabilities of approaching/avoiding emotional individuals. Importantly, the task was implicit, as participants were not instructed to learn, and emotional expressions were never mentioned. We applied both categorical analyses contrasting the ASC and TD groups and dimensional factor analysis on affective questionnaires. RESULTS Contrary to our hypothesis, participants showed spontaneous learning from socioemotional outcomes, regardless of their diagnostic group. Yet, when accounting for dimensional variations in autistic traits, as well as depression and anxiety, two main findings emerged among females who failed to develop explicit learning strategies: (1) autism severity in ASC correlated with reduced learning to approach happy individuals; (2) anxiety-depression severity across both ASC and TD participants correlated with reduced learning to approach/avoid happy/angry individuals, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Implicit spontaneous learning from socioemotional outcomes is not generally impaired in autism but may be specifically associated with autism severity in females with ASC, when they do not have an explicit strategy for adapting to their social environment. Clinical diagnosis and intervention ought to take into account individual differences in their full complexity, including the presence of co-morbid anxiety and depression, when dealing with social atypicalities in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Beaurenaut
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAÉ), Université Paris Nanterre, 200 avenue de La République, Nanterre Cedex, 92001, France.
| | - Klara Kovarski
- Sorbonne Université, INSPE, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Éducation de l'enfant (LaPsyDÉ), Université Paris Cité, CNRS, 46 rue Saint-Jacques, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Constance Destais
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Rocco Mennella
- Laboratoire sur les Interactions Cognition, Action, Émotion (LICAÉ), Université Paris Nanterre, 200 avenue de La République, Nanterre Cedex, 92001, France
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Julie Grèzes
- Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience Laboratory (LNC2), Inserm U960, Department of Cognitive Studies, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, 29 rue d'Ulm, Paris, 75005, France.
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van der Plas E, Mason D, Happé F. Decision-making in autism: A narrative review. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023:13623613221148010. [PMID: 36794463 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221148010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
LAY SUMMARY Many autistic people report difficulties with real-life decision-making. However, when doing decision-making tests in laboratory experiments, autistic people often perform as well or better than non-autistic people. We review previously published studies on autistic people's decision-making, across different types of tests, to understand what type of decision-making is more challenging. To do this, we searched four databases of research papers. We found 104 studies that tested, in total, 2712 autistic and 3189 comparison participants on different decision-making tasks. We found that there were four categories of decision-making tests that were used in these experiments: perceptual (e.g. deciding which image has the most dots); reward learning (e.g. learning which deck of cards gives the best reward); metacognition (e.g. knowing how well you perform or what you want); and value-based (e.g. making a decision based on a choice between two outcomes that differ in value to you). Overall, these studies suggest that autistic and comparison participants tend to perform similarly well at perceptual and reward-learning decisions. However, autistic participants tended to decide differently from comparison participants on metacognition and value-based paradigms. This suggests that autistic people might differ from typically developing controls in how they evaluate their own performance and in how they make decisions based on weighing up the subjective value of two different options. We suggest these reflect more general differences in metacognition, thinking about thinking, in autism.
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Yang D, Tao H, Ge H, Li Z, Hu Y, Meng J. Altered Processing of Social Emotions in Individuals With Autistic Traits. Front Psychol 2022; 13:746192. [PMID: 35310287 PMCID: PMC8931733 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.746192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Social impairment is a defining phenotypic feature of autism. The present study investigated whether individuals with autistic traits exhibit altered perceptions of social emotions. Two groups of participants (High-AQ and Low-AQ) were recruited based on their scores on the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ). Their behavioral responses and event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by social and non-social stimuli with positive, negative, and neutral emotional valence were compared in two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants were instructed to view social-emotional and non-social emotional pictures. In Experiment 2, participants were instructed to listen to social-emotional and non-social emotional audio recordings. More negative emotional reactions and smaller amplitudes of late ERP components (the late positive potential in Experiment 1 and the late negative component in Experiment 2) were found in the High-AQ group than in the Low-AQ group in response to the social-negative stimuli. In addition, amplitudes of these late ERP components in both experiments elicited in response to social-negative stimuli were correlated with the AQ scores of the High-AQ group. These results suggest that individuals with autistic traits have altered emotional processing of social-negative emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Emotion and Mental Health, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Hengheng Tao
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hongxin Ge
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zuoshan Li
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuanyan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Emotion and Mental Health, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Meng
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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Bellato A, Norman L, Idrees I, Ogawa CY, Waitt A, Zuccolo PF, Tye C, Radua J, Groom MJ, Shephard E. A systematic review and meta-analysis of altered electrophysiological markers of performance monitoring in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome (GTS), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:964-987. [PMID: 34687698 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Altered performance monitoring is implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of electrophysiological correlates of performance monitoring (error-related negativity, ERN; error positivity, Pe; feedback-related negativity, FRN; feedback-P3) in individuals with OCD, GTS, ADHD or autism compared to control participants, or associations between correlates and symptoms/traits of these conditions. Meta-analyses on 97 studies (5890 participants) showed increased ERN in OCD (Hedge's g = 0.54[CIs:0.44,0.65]) and GTS (g = 0.99[CIs:0.05,1.93]). OCD also showed increased Pe (g = 0.51[CIs:0.21,0.81]) and FRN (g = 0.50[CIs:0.26,0.73]). ADHD and autism showed reduced ERN (ADHD: g=-0.47[CIs:-0.67,-0.26]; autism: g=-0.61[CIs:-1.10,-0.13]). ADHD also showed reduced Pe (g=-0.50[CIs:-0.69,-0.32]). These findings suggest overlap in electrophysiological markers of performance monitoring alterations in four common neurodevelopmental conditions, with increased amplitudes of the markers in OCD and GTS and decreased amplitudes in ADHD and autism. Implications of these findings in terms of shared and distinct performance monitoring alterations across these neurodevelopmental conditions are discussed. PROSPERO pre-registration code: CRD42019134612.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Bellato
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK; Academic Unit of Mental Health & Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Luke Norman
- Section on Neurobehavioral and Clinical Research, Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Iman Idrees
- Academic Unit of Mental Health & Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Carolina Y Ogawa
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alice Waitt
- Academic Unit of Mental Health & Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Pedro F Zuccolo
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Charlotte Tye
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK; Imaging of Mood- and Anxiety-Related Disorders (IMARD) Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Madeleine J Groom
- Academic Unit of Mental Health & Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Elizabeth Shephard
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK; Department of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina FMUSP, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Abnormal negative feedback processing in individuals with autistic traits in the Iowa gambling task: Evidence from behavior and event-related potentials. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 165:36-46. [PMID: 33647381 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Value-based decision making plays an important role in social interaction. Previous studies have reported that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit deficits in terms of decision making. However, it is still unknown clearly whether individuals with high autistic traits within nonclinical populations employ abnormal neural substrates in value-based decision-making. To explore this issue, we investigated value-based decision making and its neural substrates in individuals with high and low autistic traits within a typically developing population who completed the revised Iowa gambling task (IGT) based on measurements of event-related potentials (ERPs). The IGT net scores were significantly lower in the group with high autistic traits than the group with low autistic traits in the fifth and sixth blocks. The ERP results showed that the feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitude in individuals with high autistic traits allowed slight discrimination between positive and negative feedback in the low-risk option. The event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) and inter-trial coherence (ITC) of the theta-band frequency were also lower in the group with high autistic traits than the group with low autistic traits in the loss low-risk option. The results obtained in this study indicate that individuals with high autistic traits exhibit an unusual negative feedback process and relevant neural substrate. The FRN amplitude and theta-band oscillation may comprise a neural index of abnormal decision-making processes in individuals with high autistic traits. This study of a small sample may be considered an important step toward a more comprehensive understanding of the autism "spectrum" within a nonclinical population based on cognitive neuroscience.
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Increased Neural Reward Responsivity in Adolescents with ASD after Social Skills Intervention. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10060402. [PMID: 32599849 PMCID: PMC7349909 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10060402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The reward system has been implicated as a potential neural mechanism underlying social-communication deficits in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether the neural reward system in ASD is sensitive to behavioral interventions. The current study measured the reward positivity (RewP) in response to social and nonsocial stimuli in seven adolescents with ASD before and after participation in the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) intervention. This study also included seven neurotypical adolescents who were tested at two time points but did not receive intervention. We examined the RewP across the course of a task by comparing brain activity during the first versus second half of trials to understand patterns of responsivity over time. Improvements in social skills and decreased social-communication impairments for teens with ASD were observed after PEERS®. Event-related potential (ERP) results suggested increased reward sensitivity during the first half of trials in the ASD group after intervention. Adolescents with ASD who exhibited less reward-related brain activity before intervention demonstrated the greatest behavioral benefits from the intervention. These findings have implications for how neuroscience can be used as an objective outcome measure before and after intervention in ASD.
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Autistic Traits Affect Reward Anticipation but not Reception. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8396. [PMID: 32440002 PMCID: PMC7242422 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65345-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) have been linked to aberrant reward processing, but it remains unclear whether it is a general dysfunction or limited to social stimuli, and whether it affects both phases of reward processing, namely anticipation and reception. We used event-related brain potentials and a population-based approach to investigate reward anticipation and reception to socially relevant (i.e., picture of experimenter’s face showing approval/disapproval) and monetary rewards in 51 neurotypical individuals with varying levels of autistic traits. Higher autistic traits were associated with enhanced reward anticipation across reward types in the early anticipation phase (triggered by incentive cues), but not in the late anticipation phase (directly before reward reception), as reflected by the CNV component. The P3 component in response to reward reception showed a general increase for monetary outcomes, which was not modulated by autistic traits. These results suggest that higher autistic traits are related to enhanced reward anticipation, but do not modulate reward reception. No interaction between reward types and autistic traits was observed. We propose that the relevance of social rewards had higher reward value than commonly used pictures of strangers, which specifically normalised responses for individuals with high autistic traits.
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Muir AM, Carbine KA, Goodwin J, Hedges-Muncy A, Endrass T, Larson MJ. Differentiating electrophysiological indices of internal and external performance monitoring: Relationship with perfectionism and locus of control. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219883. [PMID: 31671107 PMCID: PMC6822767 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The impact of individual differences on performance monitoring and psychopathology is a question of active debate. Personality traits associated with psychopathology may be related to poor internal performance monitoring (as measured by the error-related negativity [ERN]) but intact external performance monitoring (as measured by the reward positivity [RewP]), suggesting that there are underlying neural differences between internal and external performance monitoring processes. We tested the relationships between individual difference measures of perfectionism, locus of control, and ERN, error-positivity (Pe), and RewP component difference amplitude in a healthy undergraduate sample. A total of 128 participants (69 female, M(SD)age = 20.6(2.0) years) completed two tasks: a modified version of the Eriksen Flanker and a doors gambling task along with the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism scale, the Rotter Locus of Control scale, and the Levenson Multidimensional Locus of Control scale to quantify perfectionism and locus of control traits, respectively. Linear regressions adjusting for age and gender showed that neither ΔERN nor ΔRewP amplitude were significantly moderated by perfectionism or locus of control scores. Findings suggest that, in psychiatrically-healthy individuals, there is not a strong link between perfectionism, locus of control, and ERN or RewP amplitude. Future research on individual difference measures in people with psychopathology may provide further insight into how these personality traits affect performance monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra M. Muir
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Kaylie A. Carbine
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Jayden Goodwin
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | - Ariana Hedges-Muncy
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
| | | | - Michael J. Larson
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
- Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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10
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Behavioural Isomorphism, Cognitive Economy and Recursive Thought in Non-Transitive Game Strategy. GAMES 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/g10030032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Game spaces in which an organism must repeatedly compete with an opponent for mutually exclusive outcomes are critical methodologies for understanding decision-making under pressure. In the non-transitive game rock, paper, scissors (RPS), the only technique that guarantees the lack of exploitation is to perform randomly in accordance with mixed-strategy. However, such behavior is thought to be outside bounded rationality and so decision-making can become deterministic, predictable, and ultimately exploitable. This review identifies similarities across economics, neuroscience, nonlinear dynamics, human, and animal cognition literatures, and provides a taxonomy of RPS strategy. RPS strategies are discussed in terms of (a) whether the relevant computations require sensitivity to item frequency, the cyclic relationships between responses, or the outcome of the previous trial, and (b) whether the strategy is framed around the self or other. The negative implication of this taxonomy is that despite the differences in cognitive economy and recursive thought, many of the identified strategies are behaviorally isomorphic. This makes it difficult to infer strategy from behavior. The positive implication is that this isomorphism can be used as a novel design feature in furthering our understanding of the attribution, agency, and acquisition of strategy in RPS and other game spaces.
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Schiltz HK, Magnus BE, McVey AJ, Haendel AD, Dolan BK, Stanley RE, Willar KA, Pleiss SJ, Carson AM, Carlson M, Murphy C, Vogt EM, Yund BD, Van Hecke AV. A Psychometric Analysis of the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents Among Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Caregiver-Adolescent Agreement, Factor Structure, and Validity. Assessment 2019; 28:100-115. [PMID: 31165617 DOI: 10.1177/1073191119851563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Social anxiety is common among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). An ongoing challenge for both research and clinical practice in ASD is the assessment of anxious symptomatology. Despite its widespread use in samples of youth with ASD, the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) has not received psychometric evaluation within this population; thus, the validity of its use in research and clinical practice for ASD remains unclear. The present study conducted a psychometric analysis of caregiver and adolescent SAS-A forms in a sample of adolescents with ASD (N = 197). Results revealed (1) poor caregiver-adolescent item-level agreement, (2) a two-factor structure, (3) lack of measurement invariance between reporters, and (4) modest evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. Overall, findings suggest that this measure demonstrates reasonable psychometric properties in an ASD sample. Lack of measurement invariance, however, calls for careful interpretation of research involving the SAS-A in ASD samples, particularly when the primary goal is to compare adolescent and caregiver reports. The implications of these findings for future research and clinical practice are discussed.
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12
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McVey AJ. The neurobiological presentation of anxiety in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Autism Res 2019; 12:346-369. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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13
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Rolison MJ, Naples AJ, Rutherford HJV, McPartland JC. Modulation of reward in a live social context as revealed through interactive social neuroscience. Soc Neurosci 2018; 13:416-428. [PMID: 28586261 PMCID: PMC6072262 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1339635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Social neuroscience research investigating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yielded inconsistent findings, despite ASD being well-characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication through behavioral observation. In particular, specific etiologies and functional and structural assays of the brain in autism have not been consistently identified. To date, most social neuroscience research has focused on a single person viewing static images. Research utilizing interactive social neuroscience featuring dual-brain recording offers great promise for the study of neurodevelopmental disabilities. Reward processing has been implicated in the pathology of ASD, yet mixed findings have brought uncertainty about the role reward processing deficits may play in ASD. The current study employed dual-brain EEG recording to examine reward processing during live interaction and its relation to autistic traits. Sixteen typically developing (TD) adults played a competitive treasure-hunt game against a computer and against a human partner. EEG results revealed enhanced neural sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction with a human competitor. Further, individuals with higher levels of autistic traits demonstrated reduced sensitivity to reward outcome during live interaction. These findings provide novel insight into reward processing mechanisms associated with autistic traits, as well as support the necessary utility of interactive social neuroscience techniques to study developmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max J Rolison
- a Child Study Center , Yale School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Adam J Naples
- a Child Study Center , Yale School of Medicine , New Haven , CT , USA
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Stavropoulos KKM, Carver LJ. Oscillatory rhythm of reward: anticipation and processing of rewards in children with and without autism. Mol Autism 2018; 9:4. [PMID: 29423131 PMCID: PMC5789641 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-018-0189-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition, and multiple theories have emerged concerning core social deficits. While the social motivation hypothesis proposes that deficits in the social reward system cause individuals with ASD to engage less in social interaction, the overly intense world hypothesis (sensory over-responsivity) proposes that individuals with ASD find stimuli to be too intense and may have hypersensitivity to social interaction, leading them to avoid these interactions. Methods EEG was recorded during reward anticipation and reward processing. Reward anticipation was measured using alpha asymmetry, and post-feedback theta was utilized to measure reward processing. Additionally, we calculated post-feedback alpha suppression to measure attention and salience. Participants were 6- to 8-year-olds with (N = 20) and without (N = 23) ASD. Results Children with ASD showed more left-dominant alpha suppression when anticipating rewards accompanied by nonsocial stimuli compared to social stimuli. During reward processing, children with ASD had less theta activity than typically developing (TD) children. Alpha activity after feedback showed the opposite pattern: children with ASD had greater alpha suppression than TD children. Significant correlations were observed between behavioral measures of autism severity and EEG activity in both the reward anticipation and reward processing time periods. Conclusions The findings provide evidence that children with ASD have greater approach motivation prior to nonsocial (compared to social) stimuli. Results after feedback suggest that children with ASD evidence less robust activity thought to reflect evaluation and processing of rewards (e.g., theta) compared to TD children. However, children with ASD evidence greater alpha suppression after feedback compared to TD children. We hypothesize that post-feedback alpha suppression reflects general cognitive engagement-which suggests that children with ASD may experience feedback as overly intense. Taken together, these results suggest that aspects of both the social motivation hypothesis and the overly intense world hypothesis may be occurring simultaneously.
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15
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Nitta E, Onoda K, Ishitobi F, Okazaki R, Mishima S, Nagai A, Yamaguchi S. Enhanced Feedback-Related Negativity in Alzheimer's Disease. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:179. [PMID: 28503138 PMCID: PMC5408015 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the most common cause of dementia in the elderly, results in the impairment of executive function, including that of performance monitoring. Feedback-related negativity (FRN) is an electrophysiological measure reflecting the activity of this monitoring system via feedback signals, and is generated from the anterior cingulate cortex. However, there have been no reports on FRN in AD. Based on prior aging studies, we hypothesized that FRN would decrease in AD patients. To assess this, FRN was measured in healthy individuals and those with AD during a simple gambling task involving positive and negative feedback stimuli. Contrary to our hypothesis, FRN amplitude increased in AD patients, compared with the healthy elderly. We speculate that this may reflect the existence of a compensatory mechanism against the decline in executive function. Also, there was a significant association between FRN amplitude and depression scores in AD, and the FRN amplitude tended to increase insomuch as the Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) was higher. This result suggests the existence of a negative bias in the affective state in AD. Thus, the impaired functioning monitoring system in AD is a more complex phenomenon than we thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eri Nitta
- Central Clinical Laboratory, Shimane University HospitalIzumo, Japan
| | - Keiichi Onoda
- Department of Neurology, Shimane University Faculty of MedicineIzumo, Japan
| | - Fuminori Ishitobi
- Central Clinical Laboratory, Shimane University HospitalIzumo, Japan
| | - Ryota Okazaki
- Central Clinical Laboratory, Shimane University HospitalIzumo, Japan
| | - Seiji Mishima
- Central Clinical Laboratory, Shimane University HospitalIzumo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Nagai
- Central Clinical Laboratory, Shimane University HospitalIzumo, Japan
| | - Shuhei Yamaguchi
- Department of Neurology, Shimane University Faculty of MedicineIzumo, Japan
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16
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van Noordt S, Wu J, Venkataraman A, Larson MJ, South M, Crowley MJ. Inter-trial Coherence of Medial Frontal Theta Oscillations Linked to Differential Feedback Processing in Youth and Young Adults with Autism. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2017; 37:1-10. [PMID: 28983326 PMCID: PMC5624320 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2017.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairment in prediction and appreciation for choice outcomes could contribute to several core symptoms of ASD. We examined electroencephalography (EEG) oscillations in 27 youth and young adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 22 IQ-matched neurotypical controls while they performed a chance-based reward prediction task. METHOD We re-analyzed our previously published ERP data (Larson et al., 2011) and examined theta band oscillations (4-8 Hz) at frontal midline sites, within a timing window that overlaps with the feedback-related negativity (FRN). We focused on event-related changes after presentation of feedback for reward (WIN) and punitive (LOSE) outcomes, both for spectral power and inter-trial phase coherence. RESULTS In our reward prediction task, for both groups, medial frontal theta power and phase coherence were greater following LOSE compared to WIN feedback. However, compared to controls, inter-trial coherence of medial frontal theta was significantly lower overall (across both feedback types) for individuals with ASD. Our results indicate that while individuals with ASD are sensitive to the valence of reward feedback, comparable to their neurotypical peers, they have reduced synchronization of medial frontal theta activity during feedback processing. CONCLUSIONS This finding are consistent with previous studies showing neural variability in ASD and suggest that the processes underlying decision-making and reinforcement learning may be atypical and less efficient in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefon van Noordt
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Jia Wu
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Archana Venkataraman
- Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University 3400 N Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Michael J. Larson
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Mikle South
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University Provo, UT 84602, USA
| | - Michael J. Crowley
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine 230 South Frontage Rd., New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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17
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Gender differences in reward and punishment for monetary and social feedback in children: An ERP study. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174100. [PMID: 28346515 PMCID: PMC5367715 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 03/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Gender differences in feedback processing have been observed among adolescents and adults through event-related potentials. However, information on whether and how this feedback processing is affected by feedback valence, feedback type, and individual sensitivity in reward/punishment among children remains minimal. In this study, we used a guessing game task coupled with electroencephalography to investigate gender differences in feedback processing, in which feedback to reward and punishment was presented in the context of monetary and social conditions. Results showed that boys were less likely to switch their response after punishment, had generally less feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitude, and longer FRN latency in monetary and punishment conditions than girls. Moreover, FRN for monetary punishment, which is related to individual difference in reward sensitivity, was observed only in girls. The study provides gender-specific evidence for the neural processing of feedback, which may offer educational guidance for appropriate feedback for girls and boys.
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Mikita N, Simonoff E, Pine DS, Goodman R, Artiges E, Banaschewski T, Bokde AL, Bromberg U, Büchel C, Cattrell A, Conrod PJ, Desrivières S, Flor H, Frouin V, Gallinat J, Garavan H, Heinz A, Ittermann B, Jurk S, Martinot JL, Paillère Martinot ML, Nees F, Papadopoulos Orfanos D, Paus T, Poustka L, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Stringaris A. Disentangling the autism-anxiety overlap: fMRI of reward processing in a community-based longitudinal study. Transl Psychiatry 2016; 6:e845. [PMID: 27351599 PMCID: PMC4931605 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Up to 40% of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) also suffer from anxiety, and this comorbidity is linked with significant functional impairment. However, the mechanisms of this overlap are poorly understood. We investigated the interplay between ASD traits and anxiety during reward processing, known to be affected in ASD, in a community sample of 1472 adolescents (mean age=14.4 years) who performed a modified monetary incentive delay task as part of the Imagen project. Blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) responses to reward anticipation and feedback were compared using a 2x2 analysis of variance test (ASD traits: low/high; anxiety symptoms: low/high), controlling for plausible covariates. In addition, we used a longitudinal design to assess whether neural responses during reward processing predicted anxiety at 2-year follow-up. High ASD traits were associated with reduced BOLD responses in dorsal prefrontal regions during reward anticipation and negative feedback. Participants with high anxiety symptoms showed increased lateral prefrontal responses during anticipation, but decreased responses following feedback. Interaction effects revealed that youth with combined ASD traits and anxiety, relative to other youth, showed high right insula activation when anticipating reward, and low right-sided caudate, putamen, medial and lateral prefrontal activations during negative feedback (all clusters PFWE<0.05). BOLD activation patterns in the right dorsal cingulate and right medial frontal gyrus predicted new-onset anxiety in participants with high but not low ASD traits. Our results reveal both quantitatively enhanced and qualitatively distinct neural correlates underlying the comorbidity between ASD traits and anxiety. Specific neural responses during reward processing may represent a risk factor for developing anxiety in ASD youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Mikita
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK,Departmentof Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, PO85, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK. E-mail:
| | - E Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK,NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and Dementia Unit at SouthLondon and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - D S Pine
- Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - R Goodman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - E Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry”, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Orsay, France,University Paris-Sud 11, Orsay, France,University Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France,Psychiatry Department, Orsay Hospital, Orsay, France
| | - T Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - A L Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - U Bromberg
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - C Büchel
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - A Cattrell
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - P J Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada,Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - S Desrivières
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - H Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - V Frouin
- Neurospin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, CEA-Saclay Center, Paris, France
| | - J Gallinat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - H Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - A Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - B Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - S Jurk
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - J L Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry”, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Orsay, France,University Paris-Sud 11, Orsay, France,University Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France,AP-HP, Department of Adolescent Psychopathology and Medicine, Maison de Solenn, Cochin Hospital, Paris, France
| | - M L Paillère Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry”, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Orsay, France,University Paris-Sud 11, Orsay, France,University Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France,AP-HP, Department of Adolescent Psychopathology and Medicine, Maison de Solenn, Cochin Hospital, Paris, France
| | - F Nees
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - T Paus
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada,Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - L Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - M N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - H Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - R Whelan
- Department of Psychology, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - G Schumann
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - A Stringaris
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's CollegeLondon, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK
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19
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Foss-Feig JH, McGugin RW, Gauthier I, Mash LE, Ventola P, Cascio CJ. A functional neuroimaging study of fusiform response to restricted interests in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. J Neurodev Disord 2016; 8:15. [PMID: 27081401 PMCID: PMC4831124 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-016-9149-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background While autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by both social communication deficits and restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interest, literature examining possible neural bases of the latter class of symptoms is limited. The fusiform face area (FFA) is a region in the ventral temporal cortex that not only shows preferential responsiveness to faces but also responds to non-face objects of visual expertise. Because restricted interests in ASD are accompanied by high levels of visual expertise, the objective of this study was to determine the extent to which this region responds to images related to restricted interests in individuals with ASD, compared to individuals without ASD who have a strong hobby or interest. Methods Children and adolescents with and without ASD with hobbies or interests that consumed a pre-determined minimum amount of time were identified, and the intensity, frequency, and degree of interference of these interests were quantified. Each participant underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while viewing images related to their personal restricted interests (in the ASD group) or strong interest or hobby (in the comparison group). A generalized linear model was used to compare the intensity and spatial extent of fusiform gyrus response between groups, controlling for the appearance of faces in the stimuli. Results Images related to interests and expertise elicited response in FFA in both ASD and typically developing individuals, but this response was more robust in ASD. Conclusions These findings add neurobiological support to behavioral observations that restricted interests are associated with enhanced visual expertise in ASD, above and beyond what would be expected for simply a strong interest. Further, the results suggest that brain regions associated with social functioning may not be inherently less responsive in ASD, but rather may be recruited by different environmental stimuli. This study contributes to our understanding of the neural basis of restricted interests in ASD and may provide clues toward developing novel interventions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s11689-016-9149-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer H Foss-Feig
- Yale University Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT USA ; Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave Levy Place Box 1230, New York, NY USA
| | - Rankin W McGugin
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Isabel Gauthier
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN USA
| | - Lisa E Mash
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, 1601 23rd Ave South, Suite 3057, Nashville, TN 37212 USA
| | - Pamela Ventola
- Yale University Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Rd, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Carissa J Cascio
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University, 1601 23rd Ave South, Suite 3057, Nashville, TN 37212 USA ; Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, Nashville, TN USA
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20
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Hüpen P, Groen Y, Gaastra GF, Tucha L, Tucha O. Performance monitoring in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic literature review of event-related potential studies. Int J Psychophysiol 2016; 102:33-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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21
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Carter Leno V, Naples A, Cox A, Rutherford H, McPartland JC. Common and distinct modulation of electrophysiological indices of feedback processing by autistic and psychopathic traits. Soc Neurosci 2015; 11:455-66. [PMID: 26471250 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2015.1108223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and psychopathy are primarily characterized by social dysfunction; overlapping phenotypic features may reflect altered function in common brain mechanisms. The current study examined the degree to which neural response to social and nonsocial feedback is modulated by autistic versus psychopathic traits in a sample of typically developing adults (N = 31, 11 males, 18-52 years). Event-related potentials were recorded whilst participants completed a behavioral task and received feedback on task performance. Both autistic and psychopathic traits were associated with alterations in the neural correlates of feedback processing. Sensitivity to specific forms of feedback (social, nonsocial, positively valenced, negatively valenced) differed between the two traits. Autistic traits were associated with decreased sensitivity to social feedback. In contrast, the antisocial domain of psychopathic traits was associated with an overall decrease in sensitivity to feedback, and the interpersonal manipulation domain was associated with preserved processing of positively valenced feedback. Results suggest distinct alterations within specific mechanisms of feedback processing may underlie similar difficulties in social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam Naples
- a Yale School of Medicine , Child Study Center , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Anthony Cox
- a Yale School of Medicine , Child Study Center , New Haven , CT , USA
| | - Helena Rutherford
- a Yale School of Medicine , Child Study Center , New Haven , CT , USA
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22
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Cox A, Kohls G, Naples AJ, Mukerji CE, Coffman MC, Rutherford HJV, Mayes LC, McPartland JC. Diminished social reward anticipation in the broad autism phenotype as revealed by event-related brain potentials. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 10:1357-64. [PMID: 25752905 PMCID: PMC4590535 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Diminished responsivity to reward incentives is a key contributor to the social-communication problems seen in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Social motivation theories suggest that individuals with ASD do not experience social interactions as rewarding, leading to negative consequences for the development of brain circuitry subserving social information. In this study, we examined neural responses to social and non-social reward anticipation in 35 typically developing young adults, examining modulation of reward sensitivity by level of autistic traits. Using an Event-related potential incentive-delay task incorporating novel, more ecologically valid forms of reward, higher expression of autistic traits was associated with an attenuated P3 response to the anticipation of social (simulated real-time video feedback from an observer), but not non-social (candy), rewards. Exploratory analyses revealed that this was unrelated to mentalizing ability. The P3 component reflects motivated attention to reward signals, suggesting attenuated motivation allocation specific to social incentives. The study extends prior findings of atypical reward anticipation in ASD, demonstrating that attenuated social reward responsiveness extends to autistic traits in the range of typical functioning. Results support the development of innovative paradigms for investigating social and non-social reward responsiveness. Insight into vulnerabilities in reward processing is critical for understanding social function in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony Cox
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Gregor Kohls
- Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Adam J Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Cora E Mukerji
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA, and
| | - Marika C Coffman
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Linda C Mayes
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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23
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Rolison MJ, Naples AJ, McPartland JC. Interactive social neuroscience to study autism spectrum disorder. THE YALE JOURNAL OF BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2015; 88:17-24. [PMID: 25745371 PMCID: PMC4345534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate difficulty with social interactions and relationships, but the neural mechanisms underlying these difficulties remain largely unknown. While social difficulties in ASD are most apparent in the context of interactions with other people, most neuroscience research investigating ASD have provided limited insight into the complex dynamics of these interactions. The development of novel, innovative "interactive social neuroscience" methods to study the brain in contexts with two interacting humans is a necessary advance for ASD research. Studies applying an interactive neuroscience approach to study two brains engaging with one another have revealed significant differences in neural processes during interaction compared to observation in brain regions that are implicated in the neuropathology of ASD. Interactive social neuroscience methods are crucial in clarifying the mechanisms underlying the social and communication deficits that characterize ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - James C. McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut,James C. McPartland, PhD, Yale Child Study Center, 230 South Frontage Road, New Haven, CT 06520; Tele: 203-785-7179; Fax: 203-737-4197;
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24
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Webb SJ, Bernier R, Henderson HA, Johnson MH, Jones EJH, Lerner MD, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Rojas DC, Townsend J, Westerfield M. Guidelines and best practices for electrophysiological data collection, analysis and reporting in autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 45:425-43. [PMID: 23975145 PMCID: PMC4141903 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1916-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The EEG reflects the activation of large populations of neurons that act in synchrony and propagate to the scalp surface. This activity reflects both the brain's background electrical activity and when the brain is being challenged by a task. Despite strong theoretical and methodological arguments for the use of EEG in understanding the neural correlates of autism, the practice of collecting, processing and evaluating EEG data is complex. Scientists should take into consideration both the nature of development in autism given the life-long, pervasive course of the disorder and the disability of altered or atypical social, communicative, and motor behaviors, all of which require accommodations to traditional EEG environments and paradigms. This paper presents guidelines for the recording, analyzing, and interpreting of EEG data with participants with autism. The goal is to articulate a set of scientific standards as well as methodological considerations that will increase the general field's understanding of EEG methods, provide support for collaborative projects, and contribute to the evaluation of results and conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jane Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, M/S CW8-6, SCRI Po Box 5371, Seattle, WA, 98145, USA,
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Stavropoulos KKM, Carver LJ. Reward anticipation and processing of social versus nonsocial stimuli in children with and without autism spectrum disorders. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2014; 55:1398-408. [PMID: 24890037 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND How children respond to social and nonsocial rewards has important implications for both typical and atypical social-cognitive development. Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are thought to process rewards differently than typically developing (TD) individuals. However, there is little direct evidence to support this claim. METHODS Two event-related potentials were measured. The stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) was utilized to measure reward anticipation, and the feedback related negativity (FRN) was utilized to measure reward processing. Participants were 6- to 8-year-olds with (N = 20) and without (N = 23) ASD. Children were presented with rewards accompanied by incidental face or nonface stimuli. Nonface stimuli were composed of scrambled face elements in the shape of arrows, controlling for low-level visual properties. RESULTS Children with ASD showed smaller responses while anticipating and processing rewards accompanied by social stimuli than TD children. Anticipation and processing of rewards accompanied by nonsocial stimuli was intact in children with ASD. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to measure both reward anticipation and processing in ASD while controlling for reward properties. The findings provide evidence that children with autism have reward anticipation and processing deficits for social stimuli only. Our results suggest that while typically developing children find social stimuli more salient than nonsocial stimuli, children with ASD may have the opposite preference.
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26
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Stavropoulos KKM, Carver LJ. Effect of familiarity on reward anticipation in children with and without autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One 2014; 9:e106667. [PMID: 25184524 PMCID: PMC4153666 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous research on the reward system in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) suggests that children with ASD anticipate and process social rewards differently than typically developing (TD) children--but has focused on the reward value of unfamiliar face stimuli. Children with ASD process faces differently than their TD peers. Previous research has focused on face processing of unfamiliar faces, but less is known about how children with ASD process familiar faces. The current study investigated how children with ASD anticipate rewards accompanied by familiar versus unfamiliar faces. METHODS The stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) of the event-related potential (ERP) was utilized to measure reward anticipation. Participants were 6- to 10-year-olds with (N = 14) and without (N = 14) ASD. Children were presented with rewards accompanied by incidental face or non-face stimuli that were either familiar (caregivers) or unfamiliar. All non-face stimuli were composed of scrambled face elements in the shape of arrows, controlling for visual properties. RESULTS No significant differences between familiar versus unfamiliar faces were found for either group. When collapsing across familiarity, TD children showed larger reward anticipation to face versus non-face stimuli, whereas children with ASD did not show differential responses to these stimulus types. Magnitude of reward anticipation to faces was significantly correlated with behavioral measures of social impairment in the ASD group. CONCLUSIONS The findings do not provide evidence for differential reward anticipation for familiar versus unfamiliar face stimuli in children with or without ASD. These findings replicate previous work suggesting that TD children anticipate rewards accompanied by social stimuli more than rewards accompanied by non-social stimuli. The results do not support the idea that familiarity normalizes reward anticipation in children with ASD. Our findings also suggest that magnitude of reward anticipation to faces is correlated with levels of social impairment for children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Leslie J. Carver
- Psychology Department, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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Clawson A, Clayson PE, Worsham W, Johnston O, South M, Larson MJ. How about watching others? Observation of error-related feedback by others in autism spectrum disorders. Int J Psychophysiol 2014; 92:S0167-8760(14)00038-5. [PMID: 24491851 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2013] [Revised: 01/16/2014] [Accepted: 01/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Research indicates that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may have a reduced ability to utilize performance feedback to regulate their behavior; however, it is unclear to what degree alterations in the environmental context affect feedback processing and contribute to the symptoms of ASD. We utilized the observational FRN (oFRN), an event-related potential (ERP) component that putatively indexes feedback processing while observing feedback directed toward another person, to examine the influence of motivational and social demands on feedback processing in ASD. High-density electroencephalogram recordings were collected from 38 youth with ASD and 31 control participants similar on age and IQ while they observed a confederate performing a modified Eriksen Flanker task. Participants were instructed to count the confederate's errors and were told that they would be awarded based on performance: the confederate would either earn points for the participant or herself. Both groups showed robust oFRN activity on traditional scalp-electrode waveforms and waveforms identified using temporospatial principal components analysis. Amplitude of oFRN did not differentiate groups. Results remained non-significant when comparing medicated to non-medicated participants. There were no significant correlations between oFRN amplitudes, autism symptom severity, and anxiety symptoms. Findings suggest that the social context of the task and motivational significance of the confederate's performance did not limit feedback processing in ASD. Future research in which the context is manipulated further is warranted to determine whether increased environmental complexity influences feedback processing in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Clawson
- Brigham Young University, Department of Psychology, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Peter E Clayson
- University of California-Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Whitney Worsham
- Brigham Young University, Department of Psychology, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Oliver Johnston
- Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Management, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Mikle South
- Brigham Young University, Department of Psychology, Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young University, Neuroscience Center, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Michael J Larson
- Brigham Young University, Department of Psychology, Provo, UT, USA; Brigham Young University, Neuroscience Center, Provo, UT, USA.
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Gordon I, Vander Wyk BC, Bennett RH, Cordeaux C, Lucas MV, Eilbott JA, Zagoory-Sharon O, Leckman JF, Feldman R, Pelphrey KA. Oxytocin enhances brain function in children with autism. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:20953-8. [PMID: 24297883 PMCID: PMC3876263 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1312857110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Following intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT), we measured, via functional MRI, changes in brain activity during judgments of socially (Eyes) and nonsocially (Vehicles) meaningful pictures in 17 children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). OT increased activity in the striatum, the middle frontal gyrus, the medial prefrontal cortex, the right orbitofrontal cortex, and the left superior temporal sulcus. In the striatum, nucleus accumbens, left posterior superior temporal sulcus, and left premotor cortex, OT increased activity during social judgments and decreased activity during nonsocial judgments. Changes in salivary OT concentrations from baseline to 30 min postadministration were positively associated with increased activity in the right amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex during social vs. nonsocial judgments. OT may thus selectively have an impact on salience and hedonic evaluations of socially meaningful stimuli in children with ASD, and thereby facilitate social attunement. These findings further the development of a neurophysiological systems-level understanding of mechanisms by which OT may enhance social functioning in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilanit Gordon
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
- Department of Psychology, and
| | - Brent C. Vander Wyk
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Randi H. Bennett
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Cara Cordeaux
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Molly V. Lucas
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Jeffrey A. Eilbott
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Orna Zagoory-Sharon
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel; and
| | - James F. Leckman
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Department of Psychology, and
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 52900, Israel; and
- Yale Child Study Center, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Kevin A. Pelphrey
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
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29
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Faja S, Murias M, Beauchaine TP, Dawson G. Reward-based decision making and electrodermal responding by young children with autism spectrum disorders during a gambling task. Autism Res 2013; 6:494-505. [PMID: 23893954 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we explore reward-based decision making and electrodermal responding (EDR) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during a children's gambling task. In addition, we examine whether individual behavioral and EDR responses predict social communication, repetitive symptoms, parent reports of executive function, and behavioral challenges. The ability to form advantageous strategies for long-term gain is of interest for children with ASD, who exhibit both difficulty with executive function and atypical responses to reward. Twenty-one children ages 6-7 years with ASD and no intellectual disability, and 21 age- and IQ-matched typically developing children participated. Both groups exhibited a similar pattern of gambling selections, but children with ASD showed less knowledge of the reward contingencies of the decks after playing. In addition, although EDR was similar between groups in anticipation of selections, children with ASD exhibited greater EDR during feedback about rewards as the task progressed. Children with ASD who exhibited the greatest increases in EDR were more likely to exhibit repetitive symptoms, particularly rituals and the need for sameness, as well as internalizing behaviors and reduced executive function in other settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Faja
- Department Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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Lin A, Rangel A, Adolphs R. Impaired learning of social compared to monetary rewards in autism. Front Neurosci 2012; 6:143. [PMID: 23060743 PMCID: PMC3461406 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2012.00143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2012] [Accepted: 09/11/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A leading hypothesis to explain the social dysfunction in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is that they exhibit a deficit in reward processing and motivation specific to social stimuli. However, there have been few direct tests of this hypothesis to date. Here we used an instrumental reward learning task that contrasted learning with social rewards (pictures of positive and negative faces) against learning with monetary reward (winning and losing money). The two tasks were structurally identical except for the type of reward, permitting direct comparisons. We tested 10 high-functioning people with ASD (7M, 3F) and 10 healthy controls who were matched on gender, age, and education. We found no significant differences between the two groups in terms of overall ability behaviorally to discriminate positive from negative slot machines, reaction-times, and valence ratings, However, there was a specific impairment in the ASD group in learning to choose social rewards, compared to monetary rewards: they had a significantly lower cumulative number of choices of the most rewarding social slot machine, and had a significantly slower initial learning rate for the socially rewarding slot machine, compared to the controls. The findings show a deficit in reward learning in ASD that is greater for social rewards than for monetary rewards, and support the hypothesis of a disproportionate impairment in social reward processing in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Lin
- Computations and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA, USA
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Dichter G, Adolphs R. Reward processing in autism: a thematic series. J Neurodev Disord 2012; 4:20. [PMID: 22958239 PMCID: PMC3445830 DOI: 10.1186/1866-1955-4-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 06/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
This thematic series presents theoretical and empirical papers focused on understanding autism from the perspective of reward processing deficits. Although the core symptoms of autism have not traditionally been conceptualized with respect to altered reward-based processes, it is clear that brain reward circuitry plays a critical role in guiding social and nonsocial learning and behavior throughout development. Additionally, brain reward circuitry may respond to social sources of information in ways that are similar to responses to primary rewards, and recent clinical data consistently suggest abnormal behavioral and neurobiologic responses to rewards in autism. This thematic series presents empirical data and review papers that highlight the utility of considering autism from the perspective of reward processing deficits. Our hope is that this novel framework may further elucidate autism pathophysiology, with the ultimate goal of yielding novel insights with potential therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Dichter
- Department of Psychiatry and the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, USA.
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