A preliminary examination of the relation between neural sensitivity to reward and history of alcohol use disorder among adults with internalizing psychopathologies. (18th January 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hixson, Hanna; Burkhouse, Katie L.; Gorka, Stephanie M.; Klumpp, Heide
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience letters. Volume 690(2019)
• Page Start: 17
• Page End: 22
• Publication Date: 2019-01-18
• Subjects: Reward positivity -- Alcoholism -- Internalizing disorders -- Anxiety -- Depression -- EEG -- ERP; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Neuroanatomie -- Périodiques; Neuropharmacologie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 617.48
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.10.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3940

Abstract

Highlights: Findings of an attenuated reward positivity in internalizing disorders are supported. IP adults exhibited a blunted reward positivity, relative to healthy controls (HCs). The reward positivity was increased in IP + Past AUD adults. Subgroups of internalizing disorders may exhibit differential reward reactivity. Abstract: Decreased reward responsiveness, as demonstrated utilizing the event-related potential (ERP) component the reward positivity (RewP), is an established correlate of internalizing psychopathologies (IPs), such as depressive and anxiety disorders. Although IPs are highly comorbid with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and despite evidence that AUDs are also characterized by aberrant reward processing styles, no studies have examined how AUD history impacts the RewP among adults with IPs. The current preliminary study sought to examine this question in a sample of 65 adults with 1) current IPs (i.e., depression, social anxiety, and/or generalized anxiety, 2) current IPs with a history of an AUD (IP + Past AUD), and 3) no history of a DSM-IV disorder. Participants completed a guessing reward task while electroencephalogram (EEG) was recorded. Results indicated that participants in the IP group exhibited a more attenuated RewP relative to IP + Past AUD and healthy control individuals. Findings from this study highlight the importance of examining diagnostic subgroups among adults with anxiety and depressive disorders, and suggest that a history of AUD may enhance reward reactivity at the neural level in individuals with IPs.