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Open Access 01-12-2008 | Research article

Incentive motivation in first-episode psychosis: A behavioural study

Authors: Graham K Murray, Luke Clark, Philip R Corlett, Andrew D Blackwell, Roshan Cools, Peter B Jones, Trevor W Robbins, Luise Poustka

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2008

Abstract

Background:

It has been proposed that there are abnormalities in incentive motivational processing in psychosis, possibly secondary to subcortical dopamine abnormalities, but few empirical studies have addressed this issue.

Methods:

We studied incentive motivation in 18 first-episode psychosis patients from the Cambridge early psychosis service CAMEO and 19 control participants using the Cued Reinforcement Reaction Time Task, which measures motivationally driven behaviour. We also gathered information on participants' attentional, executive and spatial working memory function in order to determine whether any incentive motivation deficits were secondary to generalised cognitive impairment.

Results:

We demonstrated the anticipated "reinforcement-related speeding" effect in controls (17 out of 19 control participants responded faster during an "odd-one-out" task in response to a cue that indicated a high likelihood of a large points reward). Only 4 out of 18 patients showed this effect and there was a significant interaction effect between reinforcement probability and diagnosis on reaction time (F_1,35 = 14.2, p = 0.001). This deficit was present in spite of preserved executive and attentional function in patients, and persisted even in antipsychotic medication free patients.

Conclusion:

There are incentive motivation processing abnormalities in first-episode psychosis; these may be secondary to dopamine dysfunction and are not attributable to generalised cognitive impairment.

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The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/8/34/prepub

Title: Incentive motivation in first-episode psychosis: A behavioural study
Authors: Graham K Murray
Luke Clark
Philip R Corlett
Andrew D Blackwell
Roshan Cools
Peter B Jones
Trevor W Robbins
Luise Poustka
Publication date: 01-12-2008
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2008
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-8-34

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Incentive motivation in first-episode psychosis: A behavioural study

Abstract

Background:

Methods:

Results:

Conclusion:

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background:

Methods:

Results:

Conclusion:

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