Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
05:40
The Motivation for Alcohol Reward: Predictors of Progressive-Ratio Intravenous Alcohol Self-Administration in Humans
Published on: April 28, 2022
Dysfunctional reward processing in male alcoholics: an ERP study during a gambling task
Chella Kamarajan1, Madhavi Rangaswamy, Yongqiang Tang
1Henri Begleiter Neurodynamics Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA. kam@cns.hscbklyn.edu
Journal of Psychiatric Research
|December 29, 2009
Summary
Alcoholics exhibit impaired reward processing and heightened impulsivity, potentially linked to brain reward circuitry dysfunction. This suggests alcoholism may be part of a reward deficiency syndrome.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Alcoholism is linked to a dysfunctional neural reward system.
- Understanding reward processing deficits is crucial for alcoholism treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate reward processing in male alcoholics using event-related potentials (ERPs).
- To assess behavioral measures of impulsivity and risk-taking in alcoholics.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed outcome-related negativity (ORN/N2) and positivity (ORP/P3) from a gambling task.
- Used standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) for current density analysis.
- Compared ERPs and behavioral scores between alcoholics and controls, analyzing correlations.
Main Results:
- Alcoholics showed lower ORP amplitudes and decreased ORN amplitudes during loss conditions compared to controls.
- Alcoholics exhibited higher impulsivity and risk-taking behaviors.
- Reduced current density in specific brain regions was observed in alcoholics.
Conclusions:
- Deficient reward processing and increased impulsivity in alcoholics may stem from reward deficiency.
- Alcoholism could be considered part of the reward deficiency syndrome (RDS).
