Neural correlates of reward in autism
Open accessAbstract
Background: Lack of social interaction, which is characteristically seen in people with autistic-spectrum disorder, may be caused by malfunctioning of the frontostriatal reward systems. However, no reported in vivo brain imaging studies have investigated reward mechanisms in autistic-spectrum disorder. Aims: To investigate functional brain activation during reward feedback in people with autistic-spectrum disorder and control individuals. Method: We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the neural substrates of monetary reward in individuals with autistic-spectrum disorder and matched controls. Results: When rewarded, individuals with autism compared with control individuals showed significantly greater brain activation in the left anterior cingulate gyrus. In addition, activation of this region was negatively correlated with social interaction as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Interview. Conclusions: In people with autistic-spectrum disorder, achieving reward is associated with significant differences in the activation of areas known to be responsible for attention and arousal, and this may partially underpin some deficits in social behaviour.
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Schmitz et al. reported decreased activation in the left anterior cingulate gyrus and left midfrontal gyrus on rewarded trials in patients with ASD.
“Schmitz and colleagues [563] investigated the neural substrates of reward learning in the context of a sustained attention task with monetary rewards, and reported decreased activation in the left anterior cingulate gyrus and left midfrontal gyrus on rewarded trials in patients with ASD.”
From Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings (2012) · cites this paper as [563]
Activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus during the reward learning task was negatively correlated with social ability in ASD.
“They also found that activity in the anterior cingulate gyrus during this task was negatively correlated with social ability, supporting the hypothesized link between that reward-processing dysfunction and the core social impairments in ASD.”
From Reward circuitry dysfunction in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic syndromes: animal models and clinical findings (2012) · cites this paper as [563]
Schmitz et al. did not report VS activation in either ASD or control group during a monetarily rewarded sustained attention task.
“An early study by Schmitz and colleagues applied a monetarily rewarded sustained attention task to adults with and without ASD, but did not report VS activation in either group [63].”
From Social “wanting” dysfunction in autism: neurobiological underpinnings and treatment implications (2012) · cites this paper as [63]
Relationships between ACC and insula activation and social interaction in ASD have been reported.
“Relationships between the ACC and insula activation and social interaction in ASD have also been reported (Schmitz et al., 2008, Doyle-Thomas et al., 2013b).”
From The impact of atypical sensory processing on social impairments in autism spectrum disorder (2018) · cites this paper as Schmitz et al., 2008
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References 43 · Cited by 153
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Gillberg C. Autism and related behaviors. J Intellect Disabil Res 1993; 37: 343-72.
- Dale AM. Optimal experimental design for event-related fMRI. Hum Brain Mapp 1999; 8: 109-14.
- Authors
- Schmitz, N., Rubia, K., van Amelsvoort, T., Daly, E., Smith, A., & Murphy, D. G. M.
- Affiliations
- Amsterdam UMC Location University of Amsterdam (NL)
- King's College London (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Schmitz, Nicole
- Venue
- British Journal of Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
- Published
- 2008-01
- Volume
- 192
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 19-24
- ISSN
- 0007-1250 (ISSN-L)
- 1472-1465
- OpenAlex
- W2060850799
- Cited by
- 153
- References
- 43
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 19
- FWCI
- 5.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- The British Journal of Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (RP-PG-0606-1045)
- Medical Research Council
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, reward processing, monetary rewards, anterior cingulate cortex, social interaction
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Autistic Disorder, Brain Mapping, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Interpersonal Relations, Functional Laterality, Limbic System, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Neuropsychological Tests, Parietal Lobe, Random Allocation, Reward, Case-Control Studies
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