scholarly journals Reward processing electrophysiology in schizophrenia: Effects of age and illness phase

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha V. Abram ◽  
Brian J. Roach ◽  
CB Holroyd ◽  
MP Paulus ◽  
Judith M. Ford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Slot Machine ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Reward Anticipation ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Brain Age ◽  
Illness Phase ◽  
Age Estimates

AbstractBackgroundReward processing abnormalities may underlie characteristic pleasure and motivational impairments in schizophrenia. Some neural measures of reward processing show strong age-related modulation, highlighting the importance of considering age effects on reward sensitivity. We compared event-related potentials (ERPs) reflecting reward anticipation (stimulus-preceding negativity, SPN) and evaluation (reward positivity, RewP; late-positive potential, LPP) across individuals with schizophrenia (SZ) and healthy controls (HC), with an emphasis on examining effects of chronological age, brain age (i.e., predicted age based on neurobiological measures), and illness phase.MethodsSubjects underwent EEG while completing a slot-machine task for which rewards were not dependent on performance accuracy, speed, or other preparatory demands. Slot-machine task EEG responses were compared between 54 SZ and 54 HC individuals, ages 19 to 65. Reward-related ERPs were analyzed with respect to chronological age, categorically-defined illness phase (early; ESZ versus chronic schizophrenia; CSZ), and were used to model brain age relative to chronological age.ResultsIllness phase-focused analyses indicated there were no group differences in average SPN or RewP amplitudes. However, a group x reward outcome interaction revealed that ESZ differed from HC in later outcome processing, reflected by greater LPP responses following loss versus reward (a reversal of the HC pattern). While brain age estimates did not differ among groups, depressive symptoms in SZ were associated with older brain age estimates while controlling for negative symptoms.ConclusionsESZ and CSZ did not differ from HC in reward anticipation or early outcome processing during a cognitively undemanding reward task, highlighting areas of preserved functioning. However, ESZ showed altered later reward outcome evaluation, pointing to selective reward deficits during the early illness phase of schizophrenia. Further, an association between ERP-derived brain age and depressive symptoms in SZ extends prior findings linking depression with reward-related ERP blunting. Taken together, both illness phase and age may impact reward processing in SZ, and brain aging may offer a promising, novel marker of reward dysfunction that warrants further study.

Differentiating the abnormalities of social and monetary reward processing associated with depressive symptoms

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Dandan Zhang ◽  
Junshi Shen ◽  
Rong Bi ◽  
Yueyao Zhang ◽  
Fang Zhou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Social Reward ◽  
Small Magnitude ◽  
Hit Rate ◽  
Reward Anticipation ◽  
Monetary Incentive Delay

Abstract Background Reward dysfunction is a major dimension of depressive symptomatology, but it remains obscure if that dysfunction varies across different reward types. In this study, we focus on the abnormalities in anticipatory/consummatory processing of monetary and social reward associated with depressive symptoms. Methods Forty participants with depressive symptoms and forty normal controls completed the monetary incentive delay (MID) and social incentive delay (SID) tasks with event-related potential (ERP) recording. Results In the SID but not the MID task, both the behavioral hit rate and the ERP component contingent negative variation (CNV; indicating reward anticipation) were sensitive to the interaction between the grouping factor and reward magnitude; that is, the depressive group showed a lower hit rate and a smaller CNV to large-magnitude (but not small-magnitude) social reward cues compared to the control group. Further, these two indexes were correlated with each other. Meanwhile, the ERP components feedback-related negativity and P3 (indicating reward consumption) were sensitive to the main effect of depression across the MID and SID tasks, though this effect was more prominent in the SID task. Conclusions Overall, we suggest that depressive symptoms are associated with deficits in both the reward anticipation and reward consumption stages, particularly for social rewards. These findings have a potential to characterize the profile of functional impairment that comprises and maintains depression.

scholarly journals Blunted Reward Processing in Remitted Melancholic Depression

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Weinberg ◽  
Stewart A. Shankman
Keyword(s):  
Major Depressive Disorder ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Melancholic Depression ◽  
Major Depressive ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Monetary Gain

Blunted reward response appears to be a trait-like marker of vulnerability for major depressive disorder (MDD). As such, it should be present in remitted individuals; however, depression is a heterogeneous syndrome. Reward-related impairments may be more pronounced in individuals with melancholic depression. The present study examined neural responses to rewards in remitted melancholic depression (rMD; n = 29), remitted nonmelancholic depression (rNMD; n = 56), and healthy controls (HC; n = 81). Event-related potentials to monetary gain and loss were recorded during a simple gambling paradigm. Relative to both the HC and the rNMD groups, who did not differ from one another, rMD was characterized by a blunted response to rewards. Moreover, the rMD and rNMD groups did not differ in course or severity of their past illnesses, or current depressive symptoms or functioning. Results suggest that blunted response to rewards may be a viable vulnerability marker for melancholic depression.

scholarly journals Electrophysiological investigation of reward anticipation and outcome evaluation during slot machine play

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
SL Fryer ◽  
BJ Roach ◽  
CB Holroyd ◽  
MP Paulus ◽  
K Sargent ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Stage ◽  
Slot Machine ◽  
Outcome Evaluation ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Near Miss ◽  
Slot Machines ◽  
Total Power ◽  
Near Misses ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
Reward Anticipation

ABSTRACTSlot machines are a popular form of gambling, offering a tractable way to experimentally model reward processes. This study used a 3-reel slot paradigm to assess psychologically distinct phases of reward processing, reflecting anticipation, and early and late-stage outcome processing. EEG measures of winning, nearly missing (a losing outcome revealed at the final, third reel), and “totally” missing (a losing outcome revealed earlier, at the second reel) were collected from healthy adults (n=54). Condition effects were evaluated in: i) event-related potential (ERP) components reflecting anticipatory attention (stimulus preceding negativity, SPN) and outcome processing (reward positivity, RewP and late-positive potential, LPP) and ii) total power and phase synchrony of theta and delta band oscillations. Behaviorally, trial initiation was fastest after a near miss outcome and slowest after a winning outcome. As expected, a significant SPN was observed for possible wins (AA) vs. total misses (AB), consistent with reward anticipation. In addition, significantly larger win (AAA) vs. near miss (AAB) amplitudes were observed for the RewP and LPP to wins and LPP to near misses (vs. total misses) reflecting early and late-stage outcome processing effects. There was an effect of reel position on the RewP, with larger effects in the final reel (AAA-AAB) relative to the 2nd-reel locked difference waves (AA-AB). Across all outcomes, near misses elicited the largest and most phase-synchronized theta responses, while wins elicited larger and more phase-synchronized delta responses than total misses, with near misses not differing from wins or total misses. Phase locking measures contrasting win vs. near miss delta and theta synchronization, within time windows corresponding to ERP measurements, covaried with RewP, but not SPN or LPP, amplitude. Lastly, EEG measures showed differential relationships with age and self-reported consummatory pleasure. In the context of slot machine play, where reward anticipation and attainment place minimal demands on effort and skill, ERP and time-frequency methods capture distinct neurophysiological signatures of reward anticipation and outcome processing.

scholarly journals Acute Stress Reduces Reward-Related Neural Activity: Evidence from the Reward Positivity

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kreshnik Burani ◽  
Austin Gallyer ◽  
Jon Ryan ◽  
Carson Jordan ◽  
Thomas Joiner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Stress Condition ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Reward Positivity ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Acute Stressor ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACTStress and blunted reward processing are risk factors for mood disorders, including Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). The experience of acute stress reduces fMRI correlates of reward-related neural activity; however, few studies have examined how acute stress impacts measures of reward derived from event-related potentials (ERPs). The current study examined the impact of an acute stressor on the Reward Positivity (RewP), an ERP that indexes reward sensitivity, in twenty-seven college students. Participants completed a monetary reward task while they placed their left hand in cold water set at 13 degrees Celsius (i.e., acute stress condition) and again while their hand was placed in room temperature water (i.e., control condition). These conditions were separated by one week and performed in a counter-balanced order across participants. The results revealed that the RewP amplitude was blunted in the acute stress condition compared to the control condition. Moreover, there was a trend toward this effect interacting with self-reported depressive symptoms: the RewP was only reduced among individuals who reported low depressive symptoms. The current study suggests that an acute stressor reduces the RewP, and that this effect might be moderated by current depressive symptoms. Future studies might examine the temporal association between reward processing and stress —and how they interact to predict depressive symptoms.

scholarly journals Reliable longitudinal brain age prediction in stroke patients: Associations with cognitive function and response to cognitive training

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geneviève Richard ◽  
Knut Kolskår ◽  
Kristine M. Ulrichsen ◽  
Tobias Kaufmann ◽  
Dag Alnæs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Outcome Prediction ◽  
Cognitive Intervention ◽  
Chronological Age ◽  
Double Blind Study ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Brain Morphometry ◽  
Age Gap ◽  
Brain Age ◽  
Age Prediction

AbstractCognitive deficits are important predictors for outcome, independence and quality of life after stroke, but often remain unnoticed and unattended because other impairments are more evident. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) is among the candidate interventions that may alleviate cognitive difficulties, but the evidence supporting its feasibility and effectiveness is scarce, partly due to the lack of tools for outcome prediction and monitoring. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides candidate markers for disease monitoring and outcome prediction. By integrating information not only about lesion extent and localization, but also regarding the integrity of the unaffected parts of the brain, advanced MRI provides relevant information for developing better prediction models in order to tailor cognitive intervention for patients, especially in a chronic phase.Using brain age prediction based on MRI based brain morphometry and machine learning, we tested the hypotheses that stroke patients with a younger-appearing brain relative to their chronological age perform better on cognitive tests and benefit more from cognitive training compared to patients with an older-appearing brain. In this randomized double-blind study, 54 patients who suffered mild stroke (>6 months since hospital admission, NIHSS<7 at hospital discharge) underwent 3-weeks CCT and MRI before and after the intervention. In addition, patients were randomized to one of two groups receiving either active or sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). We tested for main effects of brain age gap (estimated age – chronological age) on cognitive performance, and associations between brain age gap and task improvement. Finally, we tested if longitudinal changes in brain age gap during the intervention were sensitive to treatment response. Briefly, our results suggest that longitudinal brain age prediction based on automated brain morphometry is feasible and reliable in stroke patients. However, no significant association between brain age and both performance and response to cognitive training were found.

scholarly journals Depressive rumination is correlated with brain responses during self-related processing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tzu-Yu Hsu ◽  
Tzu-Ling Liu ◽  
Paul Z. Cheng ◽  
Hsin-Chien Lee ◽  
Timothy J. Lane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Unipolar Depression ◽  
Brain Responses ◽  
Late Event ◽  
Oscillatory Power ◽  
Related Aspect ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Central Symptom

AbstractBackgroundRumination, a tendency to focus on negative self-related thoughts, is a central symptom of depression. Studying the self-related aspect of such symptoms is challenging due to the need to distinguish self effects per se from the emotional content of task stimuli. This study employs an emotionally neutral self-related paradigm to investigate possible altered self processing in depression and its link to rumination.MethodsPeople with unipolar depression (MDD; n = 25) and controls (n = 25) underwent task-based EEG recording. Late event-related potentials were studied along with low frequency oscillatory power. EEG metrics were compared between groups and correlated with depressive symptoms and reported rumination.ResultsThe MDD group displayed a difference in late potentials across fronto-central electrodes between self-related and non-self-related conditions. No such difference was seen in controls. The magnitude of this difference was positively related with depressive symptoms and reported rumination. MDD also had elevated theta oscillation power at central electrodes in self-related conditions, which was not seen in controls.ConclusionsRumination appears linked to altered self-related processing in depression, independently of stimuli-related emotional confounds. This connection between self-related processing and depression may point to self-disorder being a core component of the condition.

scholarly journals Neurobehavioural characterisation and stratification of reinforcement-related behaviour

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianye Jia ◽  
Alex Ing ◽  
Erin Burke Quinlan ◽  
Nicole Tay ◽  
Qiang Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Processing ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Reward Processing ◽  
Motor Inhibition ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Functional Brain ◽  
Reward Anticipation ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Externalising Symptoms ◽  
Critical Components

Abstract:Reinforcement-related cognitive processes, such as reward processing, impulsiveness and emotional processing are critical components of externalising and internalising behaviours. It is unclear to what extent each of these processes contributes to individual behavioural symptoms, how their neural substrates give rise to distinct behavioural outcomes, and if neural profiles across different reinforcement-related processes might differentiate individual behaviours. We created a statistical framework that enabled us to directly compare functional brain activation during reward anticipation, motor inhibition and viewing of emotional faces in the European IMAGEN cohort of 2000 14-year-old adolescents. We observe significant correlations and modulation of reward anticipation and motor inhibition networks in hyperactivity, impulsivity, inattention and conduct symptoms, and describe neural signatures across neuroimaging tasks that differentiate these behaviours. We thus characterise shared and distinct functional brain activation patterns that underlie different externalising symptoms and identify neural stratification markers, while accounting for clinically observed co-morbidity.

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