Dataset Information

Delay discounting and task performance consistency in patients with schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT: To study impaired goal-oriented behavior in schizophrenia (SZ), we used a delay discounting task, which consists of a series of choices between receiving a small immediate or larger delayed reward. Few studies of delay discounting have evaluated response consistency (R(2)), which is especially relevant in SZ because of documented inconsistency in task performance. We calculated the rate of discounting (k) and R(2) in SZ (n=35) and healthy controls (HC; n=21). Using a criterion value of R(2)>0.60 to define consistent performance allowed us to compare discounting in consistent SZ and HC, as well as in inconsistent SZ. Groups did not differ significantly in smoking. Compared to HC, consistent SZ showed greater delay discounting. Both groups exhibited similar patterns of decreasing immediate choices across trial categories, although the decrease was less for SZ. Separate analyses on smokers and non-smokers showed that this group difference was carried by the non-smokers. Inconsistent SZ discounted more than HC and consistent SZ, but their aberrant pattern of choices casts doubt on the validity of their calculated k values.

SUBMITTER: Weller RE

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4388189 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Delay discounting and task performance consistency in patients with schizophrenia.

Weller Rosalyn Eve RE Avsar Kathy Burton KB Cox James Edward JE Reid Meredith Amanda MA White David Matthew DM Lahti Adrienne Carol AC

Psychiatry research 20131204 2

To study impaired goal-oriented behavior in schizophrenia (SZ), we used a delay discounting task, which consists of a series of choices between receiving a small immediate or larger delayed reward. Few studies of delay discounting have evaluated response consistency (R(2)), which is especially relevant in SZ because of documented inconsistency in task performance. We calculated the rate of discounting (k) and R(2) in SZ (n=35) and healthy controls (HC; n=21). Using a criterion value of R(2)>0.60 ...[more]

PMID: 24388727

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionNumerous studies indicate impaired reward-related learning in individuals with schizophrenia, with various factors such as illness duration, medication, disease severity, and level of analysis (behavioral or neurophysiological data) potentially confounding the results. Patients with schizophrenia who are treated with second-generation antipsychotics have been found to have a less affected reward system. However, this finding does not explain the neural dysfunctions observed in previous studies. This study aimed to address the open question of whether the less impaired reward-related behavior is associated with unimpaired task-related functional connectivity or altered task-related functional connectivity.MethodsThe study included 23 participants diagnosed within the schizophrenia spectrum and 23 control participants matched in terms of age, sex, and education. Participants underwent an MRI while performing a monetary incentive delay task and a social incentive delay task. The collected data were analyzed in terms of behavior and functional connectivity.ResultsBoth groups exhibited a main effect of reward type on behavioral performance, indicating faster reaction times in the social incentive delay task, but no main effect of reward level. Altered functional connectivity was observed in predictable brain regions within the patient group, depending on the chosen paradigm, but not when compared to healthy individuals.DiscussionIn addition to expected slower response times, patients with schizophrenia demonstrated similar response patterns to control participants at the behavioral level. The similarities in behavioral data may underlie different connectivity patterns. Our findings suggest that perturbations in reward processing do not necessarily imply disturbances in underlying connectivities. Consequently, we were able to demonstrate that patients with schizophrenia are indeed capable of exhibiting goal-directed, reward-responsive behavior, although there are differences depending on the type of reward.

Dataset Information

Delay discounting and task performance consistency in patients with schizophrenia.

Publications

Delay discounting and task performance consistency in patients with schizophrenia.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets