Age associations with neural processing of reward anticipation in adolescents with bipolar disorders.
Reward/behavioral approach system hypersensitivity is implicated in bipolar disorders (BD) and in normative development during adolescence. Pediatric onset of BD is associated with a more severe illness course. However, little is known about neural processing of rewards in adolescents with BD or developmental (i.e., age) associations with activation of these neural systems. The present study aims to address this knowledge gap. The present sample included 21 adolescents with BD and 26 healthy adolescents, ages 13 to 19. Participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) protocol using the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task. Behavioral performance was similar between groups. Group differences in BOLD activation during target anticipation and feedback anticipation periods of the task were examined using whole-brain analyses, as were group differences in age effects. During both target anticipation and feedback anticipation, adolescents with BD, compared to adolescents without psychopathology, exhibited decreased engagement of frontal regions involved in cognitive control (i.e., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). Healthy adolescents exhibited age-related decreases, while adolescents with BD exhibited age-related increases, in activity of other cognitive control frontal areas (i.e., right inferior frontal gyrus), suggesting altered development in the BD group. Longitudinal research is needed to examine potentially abnormal development of cognitive control during reward pursuit in adolescent BD and whether early therapeutic interventions can prevent these potential deviations from normative development.
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States; Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States. Electronic address: snezana.urosevic@gmail.com.
Snežana
S
Urošević
Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States; Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States.
Monica
M
Luciana
Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States.
Jonathan B
JB
Jensen
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, United States.
Eric A
EA
Youngstrom
Center for Neurobehavioral Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States; Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, United States.
Kathleen M
KM
Thomas
D000293:Adolescent; D000375:Aging; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D012201:Reward; D055815:Young Adult
ACC, anterior cingulate cortex; ADHD, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Adolescence; BAS dysregulation; BAS, behavioral approach system; BD, bipolar disorders; Bipolar disorder; DLPFC, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; MID, monetary incentive delay task; Nacc, nucleus accumbens; OFC, orbitofrontal cortex; PCC, posterior cingulate cortex; Reward; SUD, substance use disorders; fMRI