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Published on: March 19, 2014
Probing reward function in posttraumatic stress disorder: expectancy and satisfaction with monetary gains and losses
James W Hopper1, Roger K Pitman, Zhaohui Su
1Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA.
Background:
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be associated with dysfunctional reward processing. The present study assessed for such dysfunction in both the expectancy and outcome phases of reward processing.
Methods:
Male Vietnam veterans with (n=15) and without (n=11) combat-related PTSD were administered a wheel of fortune-type gambling task. Self-reported ratings of expectancy and satisfaction were collected respectively before and after each experience of monetary gain or loss.
Results:
PTSD participants reported both lower expectancy of reward and lower satisfaction with reward when it was received. The latter result was manifest in a failure of PTSD participants to show the greater satisfaction that normally accompanies rewards received under conditions of low expectancy.
Conclusion:
These results suggest reward function impairment in PTSD related to expectancy, satisfaction, and the expectancy-satisfaction relationship.
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