title: Intact Hedonic Responses to Sweet Tastes in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
abstract: The Sweet Taste Test (STT) is a standardized measure designed to index the ability to detect differences in sweet tastes (sweet taste sensitivity) and hedonic responses to sweet tastes (sweet taste liking). Profiles of response on the STT suggest enhanced hedonic responses to sweet tastes in psychiatric disorders characterized by dysfunctional reward processing systems, including binge-eating disorders and substance use disorders, and a putative mechanism governing STT responses is the brain opioid system. The present study examined STT responses in 20 adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 38 healthy control adults. There were no differences in sweet taste sensitivity or hedonic response to sweet tastes between the ASD and control groups. Within the ASD sample, ASD symptom severity was associated with sweet taste sensitivity, but not hedonic response to sweet taste. Results may ultimately shed light on brain opioid system functioning in ASD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3270, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA.
authors.forename: Cara R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Damiano
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3270, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Aloi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27705.
authors.forename: Caley
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burrus
authors.affiliation: Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, CB# 7160, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. ; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB# 7160, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA.
authors.forename: James C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Garbutt
authors.affiliation: Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, CB# 7160, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA. ; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB# 7160, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA.
authors.forename: Alexei B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Kampov-Polevoy
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3270, Davie Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-3270, USA. ; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, CB# 7160, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA. ; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, CB# 7255, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.
authors.forename: Gabriel S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Dichter
keywords: autism spectrum disorder (ASD); opioid system; primary rewards; reward processing; sweet taste