Abstract
It has been suggested that the altered function of reward and punishment is an important vulnerability factor leading to the development of drug use disorders. Previous studies have identified evidence of neurophysiological dysfunction in the reward process of individuals with substance use disorders. To date, only a few event-related potential (ERP) studies have examined the neural basis of reward and punishment processing in women with methamphetamine (MA) use disorders. The current ERP research aims to investigate the neurophysiological mechanisms of reward and punishment in women with MA use disorder using a monetary incentive delay task. Nineteen women with MA use disorder (MA group) and 20 healthy controls (HC group) were recruited in this study. The behavioral data showed that the reaction time (RT) was faster and the response accuracy (ACC) was higher for the potential reward and punishment conditions compared to neutral conditions. During the monetary incentive anticipation stage, the Cue-P3, and stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) were larger in the MA group than in the HC group. The SPN under the potential reward condition was larger than that under the neutral condition in the MA group but not in the HC group. During the monetary incentive consummation stage, the feedback-related negativity and feedback P3 (FB-P3) following positive feedback were significantly larger than negative feedback in the potential reward condition for the HC group, but not for the MA group. However, the FB-P3 following negative feedback was significantly larger than positive feedback in the potential punishment condition for the MA group, but not the HC group. The results suggest that women with MUD have stronger expectations of generic reward and stronger response of generic harm avoidance, which could be targeted in designing interventions for women with MA use disorder.
Highlights
Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized by chronic relapse, compulsive drug use, and loss of control over drug-taking behavior despite adverse consequences [1]
In line with previous research [57, 58], the current study showed that women with MA use disorder (MUD) had significantly higher scores on the subscales of the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and SSS compared with healthy controls, which suggests that women with MUD tend to be impulsive and sensation-seeking
We identified that the feedback-related negativity (FRN) of the negative feedback was significantly greater than that for the positive feedback under the potential reward condition in the HC group, but no feedback effect was indicated under the potential punishment condition
Summary
Substance use disorder (SUD) is characterized by chronic relapse, compulsive drug use, and loss of control over drug-taking behavior despite adverse consequences [1]. MA can stimulate the rewarding system of the brain and has highly reinforcing effects that lead to abuse and dependence. The outcomes of a particular behavior, choice, or environment have a significant influence on motivation and decisionmaking. These results, whether positive (rewards) or negative (punishments), can strongly influence an individual’s behavior [7]. Negative reinforcement refers to a decrease in aversive stimuli leading to an increase in individual behavioral responses. Researchers have suggested that the brain mechanisms of positive and negative reinforcement have been considered key to the etiology and maintenance of the pathophysiology of addiction [8,9,10,11]. Understanding the neural processing mechanisms of rewards and punishments is very important for understanding the brainpower of substance users
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