Iowa Gambling Task Net Scores Research Articles

The outcome-representation learning model: impairments in decision-making in adolescents with excess weight

Impairments in decision-making have been suggested as a predisposing factor to obesity development. Individuals with excess weight display riskier decisions than normal weight people. Furthermore, adolescence is a period of life in which risky behavior may increase. We aimed to investigate decision making applying the Outcome-Representation-Learning (ORL) model to the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in adolescents with excess weight. Twenty-nine excess weight and twenty-eight normal weight adolescents, classified according to their age-adjusted body mass index (BMI) percentile, participated in the study. Decision-making was measured using the IGT. A Bayesian computational ORL model was applied to assess reward learning, punishment learning, forgetfulness, win perseverance and deck perseverance. The IGT net score was lower in excess weight than normal weight adolescents (β = 2.85; p < .027). Reward learning (95% HDI [0.011, 0.232]) was higher, while forgetfulness (95% HDI [− 0.711, − 0.181]) and deck perseverance (95% HDI [− 3.349, − 0.203]) were lower, in excess weight than normal weight adolescents. Excess weight adolescents seemed better at learning the most rewarding choices and showed a random strategy based on reward and novelty seeking. Consequently, excess weight adolescents made more disadvantageous selections, and performed worse in the IGT.

A computational cognitive model of the Iowa Gambling Task for finely characterizing decision making in methamphetamine users

BackgroundConventional scores from the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) have been used to assess decision making in a variety of disorders, including substance use. This study extends that work by examining a novel computational cognitive model of the IGT that was hypothesized to capture fine-grained differences in decision-making styles in persons with recent methamphetamine use disorders. MethodsA total of 64 participants were evaluated in this study, which included individuals with lifetime methamphetamine dependence diagnoses, individuals with diagnoses of both methamphetamine and other substance dependence, and control participants with no histories of substance use disorders. Participants were individually modeled performing the IGT by adjusting the parameters of the computational model MAIDEN-IGT with an evolutionary strategy. ResultsThe resultant models explained more than 80% of the participants’ behavior. The common IGT net score alone was not able to detect any inter-group differences. However, the modeling process yielded differentiated inter-group patterns of behavior extracted from the computational models. Relative to control participants, methamphetamine users exhibited a lower estimation of the possible losses as well as the risk associated to the losses. In addition, multi-substance users showed a behavior pattern that affects the evaluation of losses and the risk associated with gains. ConclusionsMAIDEN-IGT computational models were more sensitive than traditional metrics to the risky decision making of persons with methamphetamine use disorders. These novel models raise plausible hypotheses about the nature of motivated behaviors in the context of substance use disorders.

Risk/Reward Financial Decision Making in Older Adults with Mood Disorders: Insights from the Iowa Gambling Task

<h3>Introduction</h3> There is increasing clinical and legal interest in the decision-making abilities of older adults given the potentially far-reaching consequences, particularly with respect to financial well-being. For example, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's most recent elder fraud report showed that 105,301 individuals over the age of 60 fell victim to fraud in 2020, resulting in total losses of nearly $1 billion. This highlights the importance of investigating potential factors associated with changes in risk/reward financial decision-making in older adults. The reasons behind age-related changes in financial decision-making are still poorly understood, though several factors have been proposed, such as age-related affective changes (Kensinger & Leclerc, 2009). In addition, late-life mood disorders, such as major depression and bipolar disorder, may further alter or compromise financial decision-making (Fein et al., 2007). These findings have been inconsistent, however, and this remains an understudied area. Accordingly, the aims of this study were twofold: (1) To investigate risk/reward financial decision-making in older adults with and without mood disorders using a well-validated paradigm, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), and (2) To determine whether the relationship between group and IGT performance varied as a function of positive or negative affective state, as measured by the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). <h3>Methods</h3> Forty-five older adults ranging in age from 55 to 86 (<i>M</i>=68.07 ± 8.14) were selected from the Geriatric Mood Disorders Database (GMDD) Study at McLean Hospital (19 healthy control, 26 mood disorder). The mood disorder group included patients with bipolar disorder (<i>n</i>=13) or major depressive disorder (<i>n</i>=14). For aim 1, a Group (control vs mood) by Trial Block (1-5) repeated measures ANOVA was performed using IGT net score as the outcome variable. Independent samples t-tests were then used to assess group differences in overall deck preference (i.e., risky vs conservative decks) and sensitivity to punishment frequency. For aim 2, linear regression was performed using Group, PANAS scores, and Group x PANAS interaction terms as predictors of IGT performance. <h3>Results</h3> Groups did not differ in age, education (∼16 years in both groups), or global cognitive ability (MMSE). The mood group endorsed more negative affectivity on the PANAS [<i>p</i> = .001], whereas groups did not differ in positive affectivity. Repeated measures ANOVA showed a marginally significant main effect of Trial Block [<i>F</i>(1,4) = 2.40, <i>p</i> = 0.07], reflecting a general trend toward more conservative or advantageous choices over time. However, this trend did not vary by Group [<i>p</i> = 0.22]. The groups also did not differ in deck preference [all <i>p</i>s > .19] or sensitivity to punishment frequency [<i>p</i> = 0.58]. Regression analysis revealed a marginally significant Group x PANAS-Neg interaction in Trial Block 1 Net Score [<i>β</i> = -3.90, <i>t</i>(43) = -1.95, <i>p</i> = 0.059], which reflected a significant positive correlation between negative affectivity and more conservative or advantageous decision making on early trials in healthy controls only [Spearman's ρ = 0.56, <i>p</i> = 0.13]. A marginally significant Group x PANAS-Pos interaction was also found for Deck A preference – i.e., one of the risky decks [<i>β</i> = 0.54, <i>t</i>(43) = 1.89, <i>p</i> = 0.067]. This reflected a positive correlation between Deck A choices and positive affectivity in the mood group, but the opposite in the control group, though neither correlation was significant [<i>p</i>s > .10]. There were no Group x PANAS interactions in sensitivity to punishment frequency. <h3>Conclusions</h3> This study showed no differences between healthy older adults and those with mood disorders in IGT performance, with both groups exhibiting a trend toward more advantageous (i.e., less risky) choices over time. This suggests the presence of a mood disorder in later life may not compromise one's ability to integrate feedback and improve risk/reward decision-making over time in a financial context. However, this conclusion should be interpreted cautiously given the somewhat modest sample size and generally high education level in both groups, with the latter potentially being protective in some way. With those same caveats in mind, interesting trend-level group interactions were also seen when the affective state was considered, suggesting a potential differential impact of positive and negative affectivity on decision-making style across groups. The possible effects of affective valence on risky decision-making in older adults should be investigated in larger and more diverse samples to help clarify the reliability and generalizability of the current findings.

Decision-making executive function profile and performance in older adults with major depression: a case-control study

Objectives Decision making (DM) is a component of executive functioning, essential for choosing appropriate decisions. Executive dysfunctioning is particularly common in late-life depression, however the literature is scarce on DM. This case-control study aimed to evaluate the DM profile and performance in participants with and without unipolar major depression. Method The DM profile and performance were assessed by the Melbourne Decision Making Questionnaire and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), respectively, in three groups of older adults from a university-based geriatric psychiatry clinic, i.e. current depression (n = 30), remitted depression (n = 43) and healthy controls (n = 59). The Hamilton Depression scale (HAM-D) 21 items, the Hamilton Anxiety scale, and the Mini-Mental State Examination were used to access depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and cognitive impairment, respectively. Multinomial, nominal and binary logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations between depression, depressive symptomatology and DM. Results In comparison to the control group, patients with current depression presented higher scores in buck-passing and proscratination DM profiles. In the hypervigilance profile, there was a significant difference between current and remitted depression groups. A higher value ​in the HAM-D scale increased the probability of disadvantageous DM profiles. Depressive patients showed a tendency of a higher mean score in both disadvantageous decks (A and B) of IGT. Patients with current depression showed a worse performance compared to the remitted depression group in the IGT netscore. Conclusion Older adults with current depression showed DM profiles considered maladaptive or disadvantageous compared to both remitted depression and healthy controls groups.

Abnormal negative feedback processing in individuals with autistic traits in the Iowa gambling task: Evidence from behavior and event-related potentials

Value-based decision making plays an important role in social interaction. Previous studies have reported that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit deficits in terms of decision making. However, it is still unknown clearly whether individuals with high autistic traits within nonclinical populations employ abnormal neural substrates in value-based decision-making. To explore this issue, we investigated value-based decision making and its neural substrates in individuals with high and low autistic traits within a typically developing population who completed the revised Iowa gambling task (IGT) based on measurements of event-related potentials (ERPs). The IGT net scores were significantly lower in the group with high autistic traits than the group with low autistic traits in the fifth and sixth blocks. The ERP results showed that the feedback-related negativity (FRN) amplitude in individuals with high autistic traits allowed slight discrimination between positive and negative feedback in the low-risk option. The event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) and inter-trial coherence (ITC) of the theta-band frequency were also lower in the group with high autistic traits than the group with low autistic traits in the loss low-risk option. The results obtained in this study indicate that individuals with high autistic traits exhibit an unusual negative feedback process and relevant neural substrate. The FRN amplitude and theta-band oscillation may comprise a neural index of abnormal decision-making processes in individuals with high autistic traits. This study of a small sample may be considered an important step toward a more comprehensive understanding of the autism “spectrum” within a nonclinical population based on cognitive neuroscience.

Do Individuals With Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder Share Similar Neural Mechanisms of Decision-Making Under Ambiguous Circumstances?

Impaired decision-making is well documented in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and a range of electrophysiological and functional neuroimaging measures have begun to reveal the pathological mechanisms that underlie the decision-making process. Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD) has core symptoms that often overlap with OCD, but similarities between these disorders at the behavioral and neurological levels are often unclear, including whether OCPD exhibits similar decision-making deficits and shared neurological dysfunction. To address these issues, we examined 24 cases of OCD, 19 cases of OCPD, and 26 matched normal control (NC) subjects during the revised Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) using event-related potentials (ERPs). The net IGT scores were lower for OCD subjects than for OCPD or NC subjects, thus indicating that OCD subjects chose more disadvantageous options and were “short-sighted” with regards to information. The feedback-related negativity (FRN) waveform (lose-win) was larger in both OCD and OCPD subjects, which suggested that obstacles exist in the feedback process. Consequently, these subjects might share similar neural mechanisms under ambiguous decision-making circumstances. Furthermore, IGT net scores were significantly and negatively correlated with Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA) and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) scales. This implies that more severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms inspired more negative emotions that led to worse decision-making ability. Therefore, although similar neural mechanisms might exist, this led to different behaviors in which OCPD is associated with better behavioral performance compared to OCD patients.

Cognitive modelling to assess decision-making impairments in patients with current depression and with/without suicide history

It has been reported that decision making is impaired in suicide attempters. Decision making is a complex process and little is known about its different components. Yet, this information would help to understand the functioning of suicidal minds. In this study, the Prospect Valence-Learning (PVL) computational model was applied to the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to investigate and compare decision-making components in patients with affective disorder and with/without history of suicide attempts and in healthy controls. To this aim, 116 inpatients with current major depressive episode (among whom 62 suicide attempters) and 38 healthy controls were recruited. Decision-making performance was measured using the IGT. The Bayesian computational PVL model was applied to compare the feedback sensitivity, loss aversion, learning/memory, and choice consistency components of decision making in the different groups. Depressive symptomatology was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory short form (BDI-SF). The total IGT net score and the loss aversion and learning/memory scores were lower in suicide attempters than in healthy controls. The choice consistency score was low in all patients (with/without suicide history) compared with healthy controls. Moreover, patients with high BDI score showed a positive relationship between the choice consistency score and suicide attempt. These findings suggest that decision-making impairment in depressed patients with and without suicidal history might be the result of underlying problems in feedback processing and task learning, which influence the building of long-term strategies. All these impairments should be targeted in therapeutic strategies for suicidal patients.

Ventral tegmental area dysfunction affects decision-making in patients with myotonic dystrophy type-1

The clinical manifestations of Myotonic Dystrophy type-1 (DM1) are associated with a complex mixture of multisystem features including cognitive dysfunctions that strongly impact on patients' social and occupational functioning. Decision making, a function controlled by dopaminergic circuitry, is critical for succeeding in one's social and professional life. We tested here the hypothesis that altered connectivity of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), one of the major sources of diffuse dopaminergic projections in the brain, might account for some higher-level dysfunctions observed in patients with DM1. In this case–control study, we recruited 31 patients with DM1 and 26 healthy controls who underwent the IOWA Gambling task and resting-state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) at 3T. Functional connectivity of the VTA was assessed using RS-fMRI. VTA connectivity was compared between 25 DM1 patients and all the controls, and the presence of associations between VTA connectivity and IOWA Gambling task performance was also investigated. DM1 patients performed significantly worse than controls at the IOWA Gambling task. A significant increase of functional connectivity was observed between VTA and the left supramarginal and superior temporal gyri in DM1 patients. Patients' IOWA Gambling task net-scores were strictly associated with VTA-driven functional connectivity in the bilateral supplementary motor area and right precentral gyrus. This study demonstrates a prominent deficit of decision-making in patients with DM1. It might be related to increased connectivity between VTA and brain areas critically involved in the reward/punishment system and social cognition. These findings indicate that dopaminergic function is a potential target for pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in DM1.

Underlying decision making processes on Iowa Gambling Task.

Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) assesses decision making in uncertain conditions. Several studies have reported impaired performance on IGT in various clinical population compared to healthy normal. However, some researchers have reported incongruent findings from the basic assumptions of IGT in healthy normal. Our aim was to examine the possible decision making processes on IGT. The IGT was administered on two groups: Healthy normal (n = 34) and offspring at high risk for alcoholism (n = 34). Subjects were matched on age (+/-1 year), education (+/-1 year) and gender. Other tools used were: Mini-international Neuropsychiatric Interview, Family Interview for Genetic Studies, Socio-demographic Data Sheet, Annett's Handedness Questionnaire. Results showed a significant difference between two groups on selections made from disadvantageous deck A but no significant difference on disadvantageous deck B, advantageous/safe decks C and D. Also, there was no significant difference between two groups on IGT Net score [selections from decks (C + D) - decks (A + B)]. Further analysis showed that varying nature of reward and penalty schedules play an important role in selecting the cards from four decks of IGT. Subjects may prefer infrequent penalty decks without consideration of delayed loss/gain. Frequency and magnitude of reward/penalty in IGT may adversely impact decision making. Deck B can induce myopia for delayed loss in the healthy normal too because of having a high frequency of gains with high magnitude of reward. Hence, IGT related studies should consider these factors while making an inference about decision making ability.

A Preliminary Investigation on Smokeless Tobacco Use and Its Cognitive Effects Among Athletes.

Introduction: Among athletes, an increasing use of nicotine via smokeless tobacco has been reported. However, there are currently unanswered questions about whether the use by athletes is due to nicotine’s addictive properties and/or to benefits in physical and cognitive performance (e.g., decision-making). In this original article we reported about, (i) snus-induced reinforcing effects among snus-user athletes (Survey) and (ii) the effects of snus on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in snus-user skiers (Experimental study). IGT is an experimental neuropsychological task that has been previously used on athletes and addicts to test decision-making.Methods: Survey: data were collected with the modified Cigarette Evaluation Questionnaire (mCEQ) that was administered to 61 winter sport athlete snus-users in Northern Italy. Experimental study: IGT data included: amount of money earned, number of choices from advantageous and disadvantageous decks and overall net score. Eighteen male snus-users were tested under satiety or after 12-h abstinence conditions according to a crossover design.Results: Survey: the comparison between occasional vs. regular snus-users showed a statistically significant difference in satisfaction (P = 0.0088), calm (P = 0.0252), and enjoyment (P = 0.0001) mCEQ items suggesting a snus intake/effect relationship. Experimental study: significantly higher IGT net scores were found during the first 20 choice cards after abstinence vs. satiety conditions (P = 0.0024).Conclusion: In the Survey, regular snus use induces greater satisfaction and psychological reward than occasional use. In the Experimental study, snus intake might produce an early and transient cognitive improvement on IGT in abstinent snus-users, presumably acting as a withdrawal relief.

Impaired decision-making in symptomatic anorexia and bulimia nervosa patients: a meta-analysis.

Impaired decision-making is a potential neurocognitive phenotype of eating disorders. It is therefore important to disentangle the decision-making deficits associated with the eating disorder subtypes and determine whether this putative impairment is a state or trait marker of the disease or more related to starvation. We systematically reviewed the literature on decision-making in eating disorders and conducted a meta-analysis to explore its role in anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge-eating disorder (BED). A search of the Medline and EMBASE databases and article references was performed. A total of 23 studies (2044 participants) met the selection criteria. When the Iowa gambling task (IGT) was used in at least three of the studies, a meta-analysis was run. IGT performance was significantly worse in patients with an eating disorder diagnosis (AN, BN or BED) compared with healthy controls, indicating that eating disorders have a negative effect on decision-making. Hedges' g effect sizes were moderate to large (-0.72 in AN, -0.62 in BN, and -1.26 in BED). Recovered AN patients had IGT scores similar to those of healthy controls. Restrictive AN patients had significantly lower IGT net scores than purging AN patients, and both AN subtypes had worse performances than healthy controls. Age and body mass index did not explain results. Decision-making was significantly altered in patients with eating disorders. Poor decision-making was more pronounced during the acute phase than in the recovered state of AN. Nutritional status during the acute phase of the disease did not seem to influence decision-making skills.

Affective decision-making and tactical behavior of under-15 soccer players.

Affective decision-making is a type of Executive Function related to cost benefit analysis in situations where gains and losses imply direct consequences for the subject. The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the affective decision-making on tactical behavior in soccer players under the age of 15 years old. The System of Tactical Assessment in Soccer (FUT-SAT) was used to assess tactical behavior. To evaluate affective decision-making, we used the neuropsychological test called The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). The values of the offensive, defensive and game tactical behavior of participants were used to create performance groups. The low (≤25%) and high (≥75%) groups, according to offensive, defensive and game tactical behavior, were compared and shown to be different. The values of the IGT net score of the participants with low and high tactical behavior were compared using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test. Statistically significant differences between the groups were observed for Defensive Tactical Behavior (Z = −3.133; p = 0.002; r = −0.355) and Game Tactical Behavior (Z = −2.267; p = 0.023; r = −0.260). According to these results, it is possible to state that affective decision-making can influence the tactical behavior of under-15 soccer players.

The impact of frontal and cerebellar lesions on decision making: evidence from the Iowa Gambling Task.

Although the frontal lobes have traditionally been considered the neural substrates of executive functioning (EF), recent studies have suggested that other structures, such as the cerebellum, may be associated with these abilities. The role of the cerebellum has only been sparsely investigated in connection with decision making (DM), an important component of EF, and the few results obtained on this front have been inconclusive. The current study sought to investigate the role of the cerebellum in DM by comparing the performance of patients with cerebellar strokes, frontal-damaged patients, and a healthy control group on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). A total of nine cerebellar-damaged adults participated in the study, as well as nine individuals with frontal strokes and 18 control individuals. Patients were administered a version of the IGT adapted to the population of Southern Brazil. There was a marginal difference in mean IGT net scores between the two clinical groups, although both displayed impaired performance as compared to the control group. Overall, the DM ability of patients with cerebellar damage proved to be more preserved than that of individuals with frontal lobe strokes, but less preserved than that of the control group. These data suggested that, while the frontal lobes may be the most important brain structures for DM, the cerebellum might also play an active role in this cognitive function. Future studies assessing participants with lesions in different cerebellar regions and hemispheres will prove invaluable for the understanding of the neural structures involved in DM, and make significant contributions to the globalist-localizationist debate in DM neuroscience.

EPA-1342 – Reduced loss avoidance and overconfidence in obsessive-compuslive disorder: a neuroeconomic perspective.

The aim of the study was to evaluate decision-making process and probabilistic bias in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Our sample consisted of 80 subjects (40 diagnosed with OCD and 40 healthy controls). To assess the clinical characteristic of the sample we performed a clinical interview and a psychometric assessement using the Barrat Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and the Cloniger's Temperamnt and Character Inventory (TCI-125). To assess decision making processes and probabilistic reasoning we used the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Beads Task. OCD group had a significantly lower IGT final netscore (p 0.032). Moreover, controls showed a significant improvement between netscore 1 and netscore 5 (p 0.014) while patients did not (p 0.700). Patients also showed significantly less draws till decision on the Beads Task (p 0.000). We performed four regression analysis to evaluate the influence of clinical variables (duration of illness, treatment resistance, Y-BOCS Score, presence of tics, Barratt Score) and personality traits (TCI sub-scales) on IGT netscore and Beads Task. The results indicated that the four overall models were not statistically significant. Our data show the presence of a decision making and probabilistic reasoning impairment in OCD. These data could be intareptated in a neurocognitive perspective as executive dysfunction and in a neuroeconomic perspective as a reduced loss avoidance and overconfidence during decision making processes.

Food-independent tendency to disadvantageous decisions in obese individuals with regular binge eating

ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to explore whether or not obese patients with and without regular binge eating differ with regard to their decision-making abilities. MethodsDecision-making was measured by using a computerized version of the Iowa Gambling task (IGT) in 34 obese patients with regular binge eating (BE+) and 34 obese individuals without binge eating (BE−) matched for age and sex. In addition, computerized versions of the Auditory Verbal Learning Test and the Corsi Block Tapping Test were administered. Participants further answered questionnaires concerning eating disorder symptoms (Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire) and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale). ResultsThe BE+ group reported more eating disorder and depressive symptoms than the BE− group but did not differ with regard to BMI, working memory deficits, depressive symptoms, somatic comorbidity (i.e., hypertension, diabetes, sleep apnea, hyperlipidemia, pain disorder), or education. Binge eating participants showed poorer decision-making abilities based on the total IGT net scores. However, they did not differ from those without regular binge eating in improving their choice behavior over the task. ConclusionsThe group difference in total IGT net scores suggests more general, food-independent decision making problems in obese individuals with regular binge eating compared to those without. Treatment of obese patients with BED could be enhanced by training them to better control risky decisions, to delay gratification in an effortful way and to activate appropriate alternative behaviors.

Higher Autonomic Activation Predicts Better Performance in Iowa Gambling Task

To evaluate the relationship between the autonomic nervous system basal state and performance in decision-making tasks. The link between performance in decision-making tasks and acute changes in autonomic parameters during their execution has been extensively investigated. However, there is lacking evidence regarding the relationship between decision making and basal autonomic state. Resting autonomic nervous system activity in 18 healthy individuals was assessed by means of heart rate variability (HRV) analysis before conducting 3 different decision-making tasks: an ambiguous one, the Iowa Gambling Task; a test that assesses risk-taking behavior, the Game of Dice Task; and a test that assesses reversal learning behavior, the Reversal Learning Task. The tasks were administered in a random manner. There was a direct correlation between the Iowa Gambling Task net score and the resting low frequency HRV (r = 0.73; P < 0.001), which is strongly influenced by sympathetic activity. No correlations were found between HRV and the Game of Dice Task net score or the Reversal Learning Task last error trial. The results are compatible with the idea that a higher basal activation of autonomic nervous system is beneficial for subsequent decision-making process.

The Impact of Executive Function on Emotion Recognition and Emotion Experience in Patients with Schizophrenia

ObjectiveThis study investigated the impact of executive function on the performance of two different affective tasks, the Facial Affect Identification Task (FAIT) and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsThirty-nine patients with schizophrenia and 33 healthy controls completed the FAIT and the IGT, followed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the intelligence quotient (IQ) test. In addition to correlation analysis, regression analysis was used to determine the extent to which the performance of the WCST, in particular, perseverative error (PE), accounted for the variation in both the FAIT and the IGT.ResultsRelative to normal controls, patients with schizophrenia showed significant impairments in the IGT, the FAIT and the WCST even after controlling for IQ. While normal controls did not show any relationships between the WCST and two affective tasks, patients with schizophrenia showed that variables in the WCST correlated not only with the FAIT total correct score (r=-0.503, p=0.001 for PE) but also with the IGT net score (r=0.385, p=0.016 for PE). The PE score was a better predictor of the performance on the FAIT (R2=0.25) than that of the performance on the IGT (R2=0.15).ConclusionOur findings imply that deficits in executive function in schizophrenia can affect performance on facial emotion recognition task more than performance on task based on emotion experience, that is, the feedback from the body. Therefore, more consideration is needed of the impact of executive function when interpreting the result of "conventional" facial affect recognition tests as opposed to interpreting the IGT.

The differential relationship between cocaine use and marijuana use on decision-making performance over repeat testing with the Iowa Gambling Task

Decision-making deficits are a robust cognitive correlate of substance abuse, but few studies have addressed the long-term differential associations of cocaine use and marijuana (MJ) use on decision-making. This study utilized the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), a widely used measure of decision-making, to investigate the relationship between cocaine and MJ use and IGT learning. We analyzed between and within group differences across two consecutive testing sessions in abstinent users of either MJ or cocaine. We assessed long-term correlates of the use of these drugs by evaluating users after 25 days of enforced abstinence. Results showed that both cocaine users and MJ users performed worse than controls on the total IGT net score. All groups showed learning between Session 1 and Session 2, but the cocaine users showed the smallest increase in performance. The pattern of learning from the beginning to the end (block × block) of the IGT (Session 2) was different for the drug groups, with the cocaine group showing more learning than the MJ group. Dose-related measures of cocaine use (g/week) and MJ use (joints/week) predicted IGT performance (the heavier the drug use the lower the performance). Differential correlates of cocaine use and MJ use on decision-making learning may have important implications for the development of novel treatment interventions.