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Just‐in‐time response to reward as a function of ADHD symptom severity
Author(s) -
Pretus Clara,
Picado Marisol,
RamosQuiroga Josep Antoni,
Carmona Susana,
Richarte Vanesa,
Fauquet Jordi,
Vilarroya Óscar
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/pcn.12689
Subject(s) - context (archaeology) , psychology , reward system , functional magnetic resonance imaging , neuroimaging , orbitofrontal cortex , reward dependence , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , functional neuroimaging , clinical psychology , neuroscience , developmental psychology , cognition , novelty seeking , prefrontal cortex , social psychology , paleontology , personality , temperament , biology
Aim Attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) neuroimaging studies have identified substantial differences in reward‐related circuits on a trial‐by‐trial basis. However, no research to date has evaluated the effect of motivational context on neural activity in settings with intermittent reward in ADHD. The present study was designed to identify neural processes underlying both immediate effects of reward and sustained effects of reward associated with motivational context in adult ADHD patients. Methods We used a functional magnetic resonance imaging paradigm, including a time estimation task with constant versus intermittent reward conditions, in a sample of 21 medication‐naïve adults with combined ADHD and 24 healthy adults. Results Although no between‐group neural differences were detected, orbitofrontal activity dropped in association with high ADHD symptom severity during the transition from initial non‐reward context blocks to subsequent reward context blocks. In turn, ADHD symptom severity predicted higher orbitofrontal activity in response to immediate reward versus no reward within reward context blocks. Conclusion These results suggest that high ADHD symptom severity scorers adopted a ‘just‐in‐time’ strategy, involving the recruitment of reward processing brain areas in the face of immediate reward rather than a sustained response to motivational context.