Investigating reward processing in autism: a replication study in the EU-AIMS Longitudinal Europea
Poster No:
428
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Pan Zhou1, Marianne Oldehinkel2, Sarah Baumeister3, Jan Buitelaar4
Institutions:
1Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Gelderland Province, 2Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Gelderland, 3Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany, 4Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, NL, Nijmegen, Netherlands
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Marianne Oldehinkel
Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour
Nijmegen, Gelderland
Sarah Baumeister
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
Mannheim, Germany
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim
Mannheim, Germany
Jan Buitelaar
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, NL
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, NL
Nijmegen, Netherlands
Introduction:
Social motivational theories (SMT) suggest a lack of interest in attending to and processing of social stimuli as a basic problem in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) [1-2] . The SMT can be tested by examining how the brain reward circuitry is processing social and non-social reward stimuli, and whether this differs between ASD and non-ASD participants [2]. The monetary and social incentive delay task (MID and SID) consisting of a reward anticipation and a reward delivery phase, are common tasks that can be used for this purpose [3-4].
The EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) aimed at identifying biomarkers for ASD and includes the MID and SID tasks. The analysis of the MID/SID task data in the baseline assessment of LEAP (LEAP-1) showed lower activation in the ventral striatum (VS) in ASD compared to the typical developing control (TD) group during the anticipation of both monetary and social reward, but not during reward delivery [5], hereby not providing evidence for SMT but suggesting a general reward deficit in ASD. The main aim of this study was to repeat and extend the analyses of the MID and SID in the 2-year follow-up assessment of LEAP (LEAP-2) in a replication effort.
The EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) aimed at identifying biomarkers for ASD and includes the MID and SID tasks. The analysis of the MID/SID task data in the baseline assessment of LEAP (LEAP-1) showed lower activation in the ventral striatum (VS) in ASD compared to the typical developing control (TD) group during the anticipation of both monetary and social reward, but not during reward delivery [5], hereby not providing evidence for SMT but suggesting a general reward deficit in ASD. The main aim of this study was to repeat and extend the analyses of the MID and SID in the 2-year follow-up assessment of LEAP (LEAP-2) in a replication effort.
Methods:
We included 150 ASD and 123 TD participants who completed the SID and MID tasks (see Figure 1) in both LEAP-1 and LEAP-2. We employed identical methods for preprocessing, quality control, whole-brain analysis, and region of interest (ROI) analysis across the two timepoints. After quality control and preprocessing, the SID and MID tasks were combined as two sessions in a general linear model (GLM) at the first level. To quantify differential reward-specific responses between tasks, we generated a contrast image for the interaction between condition (win, neutral) and task (SID, MID), for both the anticipation and delivery of reward. Contrast images were subjected to second-level GLMs with group (ASD vs TD) as between-subject factor and covariates for age, (biological) sex, and scan site. We additionally performed region of interest (ROI) analyses (repeated measures ANOVAs) to increase sensitivity for putative diagnostic differences within a-priori defined ROIs including the VS (comprising the caudate head and Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc)), insula, and putamen.
Results:
Whole-brain analysis
In line with previous work, we observed a widespread increase in activation during the anticipation of reward vs neutral cues across both ASD and TD (Figure 2A). Similarly we observed a main effect of condition during delivery (Figure 2D; F(1,269)=36.18, pFWE<.001, k=19). Furthermore, we observed lower activation in ASD compared to TD in the striatum during anticipation of both monetary and social rewards (F(1,271)=56.31, pFWE<.001, k=132; Figure 2B), hereby replicating the results from LEAP-1. Additionally, we found lower activation in the thalamus, ACC, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus and cerebellum in ASD during reward anticipation. There was no diagnosis-by-task interaction effect. During reward delivery, the ASD group also showed significant lower activation in the striatum (F(1,269)=34.03, pFWE<.001, k=29) compared to TD group, which is in line with findings in LEAP-1.
ROI analysis
We observed a significant effect of diagnosis during reward anticipation (ASD < TD) for all investigated ROIs, see figure 2G (left VS: F(1,271)=5.375, p=.021; right VS: F(1,271)=6.172, p=.014; left insula: F(1,271)=8.942, p=.003; right insula: F(1,271)=6.915, p=.009; left putamen: F(1,271)=6.324, p=.012; right putamen F(1,271)=5.650, p=.018). There was no interaction effect of reward type by diagnosis. For reward delivery, no significant effects were observed at all.
In line with previous work, we observed a widespread increase in activation during the anticipation of reward vs neutral cues across both ASD and TD (Figure 2A). Similarly we observed a main effect of condition during delivery (Figure 2D; F(1,269)=36.18, pFWE<.001, k=19). Furthermore, we observed lower activation in ASD compared to TD in the striatum during anticipation of both monetary and social rewards (F(1,271)=56.31, pFWE<.001, k=132; Figure 2B), hereby replicating the results from LEAP-1. Additionally, we found lower activation in the thalamus, ACC, precentral gyrus, postcentral gyrus and cerebellum in ASD during reward anticipation. There was no diagnosis-by-task interaction effect. During reward delivery, the ASD group also showed significant lower activation in the striatum (F(1,269)=34.03, pFWE<.001, k=29) compared to TD group, which is in line with findings in LEAP-1.
ROI analysis
We observed a significant effect of diagnosis during reward anticipation (ASD < TD) for all investigated ROIs, see figure 2G (left VS: F(1,271)=5.375, p=.021; right VS: F(1,271)=6.172, p=.014; left insula: F(1,271)=8.942, p=.003; right insula: F(1,271)=6.915, p=.009; left putamen: F(1,271)=6.324, p=.012; right putamen F(1,271)=5.650, p=.018). There was no interaction effect of reward type by diagnosis. For reward delivery, no significant effects were observed at all.
Conclusions:
We replicate the results from LEAP-1 and demonstrate that the lower activation during reward anticipation observed in the ASD group, is not specific to social reward. Our findings do thus not support the SMT, but suggest a general reward-processing deficit in ASD.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Neurodevelopmental/ Early Life (eg. ADHD, autism) 1
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
Task-Independent and Resting-State Analysis 2
Keywords:
Autism
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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