Neural processing of decision making in Attention-Déficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and their comparison with comorbid disorders

GONZALEZ GADEA, ML; BAEZ, S; RATTAZZI, A; MANES, F; IBAÑEZ, A

Florencia

Encuentro; Society for Psychophysiological Research 53rd. Annual Meeting; 2013

Society for Psychophysiological Research

Decision making (DM) abnormalities have been reported in Attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and comorbid disorders such as bipolar disorder (BD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We examined neural correlates of reward and gambling in ADHD adults compared to BD adults and presented preliminary results of neural processing of rational and cooperative DM in ADHD and ASD children. Methodology/principal findings: For adults with ADHD and BD, we used a rapid-decision gambling task (RDGT). For ADHD or ASD children we used a modified Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and an iterative Prisoner?s Dilemma Game (iPDG). These paradigms elicit event-related potentials (ERPs): feedback Error Related Negativity (fERN), P300 (P3) and observed Feedback Error Related Negativity (oERN). In the RGDT, ADHD adults showed a pattern of impaired learning by feedback (fERN) and insensitivity to reward magnitude (P3). The BD group showed fERN and P3 enhanced responses to reward magnitude regardless of valence. In addition, an analysis of source location revealed reduced responses of the cingulate cortex to rewards in patients with ADHD and BD. Our preliminary results showed reduced fERN and P3 patterns in rational DM (IGT) in ADHD children compared to controls and group differences in oERN between ASD and controls in cooperative DM (iPDG). Discussion: Our data suggest that compared to comorbid disorders, ADHD participants exhibit a specific pattern of subtle reward processing deficits. These abnormalities would be related to cingulated cortex action monitoring activity.