Reward feedback processing in children and adolescents: Medial frontal theta oscillations

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Michael J. Crowley, Yale University; Stefon J. R. van Noordt, Brock University; Jia Wu, Yale University; Rebecca E. Hommer, National Institute of Mental Health; Mikle South, Emory University; R.M.P. Fearon, University College London; Linda C. Mayes, Yale University
• Language: English
• Date: 2014-08-01
• Publisher: ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2013 Elsevier Inc.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2013.11.011
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BRAIN AND COGNITION
• Volume: 89
• Start Page: 79
• End Page: 89
• Grant/Funding Information: This research was supported by NARSAD Young Investigator Award (MJC), Yale Interdisciplinary Research Consortium on Stress, Self-Control and Addiction Pilot project funding (MJC) through 1UL1RR024925-01 (R. Sinha); NIDA grants K01 DA034125 (MJC), RO1-DA-06025 (LCM), DA-017863 (LCM) and KO5 (LCM), and a grant from the Gustavus and Louise Pfeiffer Research Foundation (LCM).; This publication was also made possible by CTSA Grant Number UL1 RR024139 from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research.
• Keywords: Psychology; Inter-trial phase coherence; Neurosciences; Science & Technology; Theta oscillations; DYNAMICS; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Psychology, Experimental; Reward; PREDICTION; Adolescence; Social Sciences; BRAIN OSCILLATIONS; ERRORS; PREFRONTAL CORTEX; REFLECTS; NEGATIVITY; FALSE DISCOVERY RATE; Event-related spectral analysis; RISK-TAKING; ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES; Neurosciences & Neurology
• Research Categories: Psychology, Experimental; Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Behavioral

Abstract

We examined event-related electroencephalography (EEG) oscillations, including event-related spectral perturbations (ERSP) and intertrial coherence (ITC), to compare feedback processing during a chance-based reward vs. non-reward task in groups of 10-12-year-old (n= 42), 13-14-year-old (n= 34) and 15-17-year-olds (n= 32). Because few, if any studies have applied these analytic methods to examine feedback processing in children or adolescents, we used a fine-grained approach that explored one half hertz by 16. ms increments during feedback (no win vs. win events) in the theta (4-8. Hz) frequency band. Complex wavelet frequency decomposition revealed that no win feedback was associated with enhanced theta power and phase coherence. We observed condition and age-based differences for both ERSP and ITC, with stronger effects for ITC. The transition from childhood to early adolescence (13-14. yrs.) was a point of increased differentiation of ITC favoring no win vs. wins feedback and also compared to children or older adolescents, a point of heightened ITC for no win feedback (quadratic effect).