Neural Hyporesponsiveness and Hyperresponsiveness During Immediate and Delayed Reward Processing in Adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Abstract
Background Dysfunctional reward processing, accompanied by a limited ability to tolerate reward delays, has been proposed as an important feature in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), brain activation in adult patients with ADHD (n=14) and healthy control subjects (n=12) was examined during a series of choices between two monetary reward options that varied by delay to delivery.Results Compared with healthy control subjects, hyporesponsiveness of the ventral-striatal reward system was replicated in patients with ADHD and was evident for both immediate and delayed rewards. In contrast, delayed rewards evoked hyperactivation in dorsal caudate nucleus and amygdala of ADHD patients. In both structures, neural activity toward delayed rewards was significantly correlated with self-rated ADHD symptom severity.Conclusions The finding of ventral-striatal hyporesponsiveness during immediate and delayed reward processing in patients with ADHD further strengthens the concept of a diminished neural processing of rewards in ADHD. Hyperactivation during delayed reward processing, gradually increasing along the ventral-to-dorsal extension of the caudate nucleus, and especially the concomitant hyperactivation of the amygdala are in accordance with predictions of the delay aversion hypothesis.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
A recent fMRI study reported decreased activation of the ventral striatum in adults with ADHD compared to controls for both immediate and delayed rewards.
“This finding is also consistent with a recent fMRI study that reported decreased activation of the ventral striatum (the location of the NAcc) in adults with ADHD when compared to controls for both immediate and delayed rewards 24 .”
From Motivation Deficit in ADHD is Associated with Dysfunction of the Dopamine Reward Pathway (2011) · cites this paper as [24]
One study found additional enhanced activation in adults with ADHD in dorsal caudate and amygdala to delayed rewards.
“while one study found additional enhanced activation in adults with ADHD in dorsal caudate and amygdala to delayed rewards (Plichta et al., 2009).”
From Cognitive Neuroscience of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Its Clinical Translation (2018) · cites this paper as Plichta et al., 2009
Amygdala hyperactivation has also been reported in ADHD during the processing of delayed rewards.
“Amygdala hyperactivation has also been reported in ADHD during the processing of delayed rewards, perhaps consistent with the delay aversion found in some behavioral studies (38, 99-101).”
From Emotion Dysregulation in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (2014) · cites this paper as [38]
fMRI studies in ADHD have shown decreased ventral striatum activation during monetary-reward anticipation, atypical orbitofrontal activation during monetary-reward outcome, and decreased DCN and amygdala activation during delayed reward outcome.
“These studies have shown decreased ventral striatum activation during monetary-reward anticipation [484-487], atypical orbitofrontal activation during monetary-reward outcome [487,488], and decreased DCN and amygdala activation during delayed reward outcome [485,489].”
From Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings (2012) · cites this paper as [485]
Plichta et al. found relations between striatal responsivity to immediate and delayed rewards and ADHD symptom severity.
“Plichta and colleagues [485] also found relations between striatal responsivity to immediate and delayed rewards and ADHD symptom severity.”
From Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings (2012) · cites this paper as [485]
Neuroimaging studies have found that the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) exhibits atypical functioning or connectivity in individuals with ADHD.
“neuroimaging studies related to impaired reward processing have found that the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), a key region of the reward system, exhibits atypical functioning or connectivity in individuals with ADHD (Costa Dias et al., 2012, Furukawa et al., 2014, Plichta et al., 2009, Plichta and Scheres, 2014, Scheres et al., 2007, Tomasi and Volkow, 2012).”
From Characterizing heterogeneity in children with and without ADHD based on reward system connectivity (2015) · cites this paper as Plichta et al., 2009
Recent studies suggest over-activation of the amygdala as delay to rewards increases in ADHD.
“To date the role of structural and/or functional alterations within this circuit in ADHD remain under-researched although recent studies suggest underactivation in the ventral striatum in ADHD following the signaling of future rewards (Scheres et al., 2007) and over-activation of the amygdala as delay to rewards increase (Plichta et al., 2009).”
From Context-dependent Dynamic Processes in Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Differentiating Common and Unique Effects of State Regulation Deficits and Delay Aversion (2010) · cites this paper as Plichta et al., 2009
This finding is consistent with fMRI data showing ventrostriatal hyporesponsiveness during immediate and delayed reward processing in adults with ADHD.
“This finding is consistent with recent fMRI data showing ventrostriatal hyporesponsiveness during immediate and delayed reward processing in adults with ADHD (Plichta et al, 2009;Strohle et al, 2008).”
From Understanding the Effects of Stimulant Medications on Cognition in Individuals with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Decade of Progress (2011) · cites this paper as Plichta et al, 2009
Functional MRI studies in ADHD have found decreased nucleus accumbens activation during reward anticipation.
“In addition, functional MRI studies in ADHD have found decreased NAcc activation during reward anticipation (Plichta et al., 2009; Scheres et al., 2007).”
From Reward circuit connectivity relates to delay discounting in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (2013) · cites this paper as Plichta et al., 2009
Task-based fMRI studies have found atypical activation of the nucleus accumbens in ADHD during reward tasks.
“task-based fMRI studies have found atypical activation of this region while the participants performed a reward task.”
From Reward circuit connectivity relates to delay discounting in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (2013) · cites this paper as Plichta et al., 2009
fMRI studies report decreased activation of the ventral striatum for both immediate and delayed rewards in adult and adolescent participants with ADHD compared with controls.
“Consistent with this, recent fMRI studies report decreased activation of the ventral striatum for both immediate and delayed rewards and in adult and adolescent participants with ADHD compared with controls (Plichta et al., 2009; Scheres et al., 2007).”
From Imaging addiction: D2 receptors and dopamine signaling in the striatum as biomarkers for impulsivity (2014) · cites this paper as Plichta et al., 2009
Plichta et al. (2009) found significant amygdala hyperactivation in ADHD individuals when they faced choices with delayed outcomes.
“Crucially, for the present study, Plichta et al. (2009) found significant hyperactivation of the amygdala in ADHD individuals when confronted with choices with delayed outcomes.”
From Brain activation to cues predicting inescapable delay in adolescent Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: An fMRI pilot study (2012) · cites this paper as Plichta et al. (2009)
The citation lists haven’t been fetched yet
References 62 · Cited by 272
- Authors
- Plichta, M. M., Vasic, N., Wolf, R. C., Lesch, K.-P., Brummer, D., Jacob, C., Fallgatter, A. J., & Grön, G.
- Affiliations
- University of Würzburg (DE)
- Universität Ulm (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Grön, Georg
- ORCID
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2009-01
- Volume
- 65
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 7-14
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2015402194
- Cited by
- 272
- References
- 62
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 28 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 15.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, reward processing, delayed rewards, ventral striatum, caudate nucleus, amygdala, symptom severity
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Amygdala, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Basal Ganglia, Brain, Brain Mapping, Caudate Nucleus, Choice Behavior, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Reward
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
