Neural Mechanisms of Reward Prediction Error in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Maya G Mosner,Erin Walsh,Jessica L Kinard,Jacob Parelman,Joshua Bizzell,Tory Eisenlohr-Moul,Merideth A Addicott,R Edward Mclaurin,Jasmine S Shah,R Mckell Carter,Paul M Cernasov,Rachel K Greene,Shabnam Hakimi,Gabriel S Dichter

doi:10.1155/2019/5469191

Abstract

Few studies have explored neural mechanisms of reward learning in ASD despite evidence of behavioral impairments of predictive abilities in ASD. To investigate the neural correlates of reward prediction errors in ASD, 16 adults with ASD and 14 typically developing controls performed a prediction error task during fMRI scanning. Results revealed greater activation in the ASD group in the left paracingulate gyrus during signed prediction errors and the left insula and right frontal pole during thresholded unsigned prediction errors. Findings support atypical neural processing of reward prediction errors in ASD in frontostriatal regions critical for prediction coding and reward learning. Results provide a neural basis for impairments in reward learning that may contribute to traits common in ASD (e.g., intolerance of unpredictability).

Highlights

Recent conceptualizations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have examined the disorder from the perspective of reward processing deficits, focusing primarily on social motivation and pleasure in the context of social and nonsocial rewards [1, 2]
We used a functional neuroimaging task designed to assess reward prediction errors (RPEs) and hypothesized that, relative to the TDC group, individuals with ASD would demonstrate reduced frontostriatal activation during RPEs. This hypothesis was informed by patterns of behavioral and cognitive tUPEASD > tUPETDC x=58 y=72
We found greater activation in the left paracingulate gyrus in ASD during the signed prediction error condition

Summary

Introduction

Recent conceptualizations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have examined the disorder from the perspective of reward processing deficits, focusing primarily on social motivation and pleasure in the context of social and nonsocial rewards [1, 2]. A recent meta-analysis implicated multiple frontostriatal regions, frontal gyri, the ACC, and the insula (for a review see Garrison, Erdeniz, and Done (2013), [32]) Considering these findings and the literature outlining altered reward learning in ASD (e.g., [14, 24]), we hypothesized that the ASD group would be characterized by decreased activation of striatal and prefrontal cortical regions during RPEs. We further explored relations between neural response to RPEs, behavioral task responses, and ASD symptom severity in the ASD group

Methods

Results

Discussion

Disclosure