Title | Atypical brain responses to reward cues in autism as revealed by event-related potentials. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2011 |
Authors | Kohls, G, Peltzer, J, Schulte-Rüther, M, Kamp-Becker, I, Remschmidt, H, Herpertz-Dahlmann, B, Konrad, K |
Journal | J Autism Dev Disord |
Volume | 41 |
Issue | 11 |
Pagination | 1523-33 |
Date Published | 2011 Nov |
ISSN | 1573-3432 |
Keywords | Adolescent, Autistic Disorder, Brain, Case-Control Studies, Child, Cues, Electroencephalography, Evoked Potentials, Humans, Male, Motivation, Neuropsychological Tests, Reaction Time, Reward, Social Perception |
Abstract | Social motivation deficit theories suggest that children with autism do not properly anticipate and appreciate the pleasure of social stimuli. In this study, we investigated event-related brain potentials evoked by cues that triggered social versus monetary reward anticipation in children with autism. Children with autism showed attenuated P3 activity in response to cues associated with a timely reaction to obtain a reward, irrespective of reward type. We attribute this atypical P3 activity in response to reward cues as reflective of diminished motivated attention to reward signals, a possible contributor to reduced social motivation in autism. Thus, our findings suggest a general reward processing deficit rather than a specific social reward dysfunction in autism. |
DOI | 10.1007/s10803-011-1177-1 |
Alternate Journal | J Autism Dev Disord |
PubMed ID | 21290174 |
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