Risk-taking and the feedback negativity response to loss among at-risk adolescents.
Event-related brain potentials were examined in 32 adolescents (50% female) from a high-risk sample, who were exposed to cocaine and other drugs prenatally. Adolescents were selected for extreme high- or low-risk behavior on the Balloon Analog Risk Task, a measure of real-world risk-taking propensity. The feedback error-related negativity (fERN), an event-related potential (ERP) that occurs when an expected reward does not occur, was examined in a game in which choices lead to monetary gains and losses with feedback delayed 1 or 2 s. The fERN was clearly visible in the fronto-central scalp region in this adolescent sample. Feedback type, feedback delay, risk status, and sex were all associated with fERN variability. Monetary feedback also elicited a P300-like component, moderated by delay and sex. Delaying reward feedback may provide a means for studying complementary functioning of dopamine and norepinephrine systems.
Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06473, USA. michael.crowley@yale.edu
Michael J
MJ
Crowley
Jia
J
Wu
Clifford
C
Crutcher
Christopher A
CA
Bailey
C W
CW
Lejuez
Linda C
LC
Mayes
D000293:Adolescent; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000187:drug effects; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D030141:Feedback, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012201:Reward; D012306:Risk; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012727:Sex Characteristics