Reward Sensitivity at Age 13 Predicts the Future Course of Psychopathology Symptoms

Overview

Journal Front Psychiatry

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2022 Apr 1

PMID 35360134

Authors

Raniere Dener Cardoso Melo

Robin N Groen

Catharina A Hartman

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: There are numerous observations of reward sensitivity being associated with different psychiatric disorders. Nonetheless, most studies investigating this relationship have been cross-sectional. Additionally, current knowledge is fragmentary as studies often investigate only one disorder at a time. The present study addresses these gaps by investigating whether reward sensitivity at age 13 predicts the course of nine psychopathology domains (attention and hyperactivity, autism spectrum, reactive aggression, proactive aggression, mood, anxiety, smoking, alcohol use, and cannabis use) over a 14-year follow-up period.

Methods: We used dimensional outcomes on 2,523 individuals over five measurement waves between ages 13 and 26 of the Dutch Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Reward sensitivity was measured with the Behavioral Activation System (BAS) scale. The longitudinal associations between reward sensitivity and psychopathology were examined using growth curve analysis within a multilevel framework.

Results: Reward sensitivity at age 13 was associated with changes in psychopathology over time. Reward sensitivity had a stable main effect on the future course of reactive and proactive aggression problems and anxiety problems. The effect of reward sensitivity increased over time for alcohol and cannabis use. analyses showed that reward sensitivity also had a stable effect on attention problems and hyperactivity and smoking when based on the fun-seeking subscale for both domains and when changing the informant who reported on attention problems and hyperactivity. No evidence was found for a longitudinal association between reward sensitivity and autism spectrum problems and mood problems.

Conclusion: The current study provides evidence for the long-lasting effects of reward sensitivity on the course of different domains of psychopathology.

Citing Articles

Prospective associations between early adolescent reward functioning and later dimensions of psychopathology.

Mattoni M, Pegg S, Kujawa A, Klein D, Olino T J Psychopathol Clin Sci. 2024; 133(8):630-637.

PMID: 39480331 PMC: 11890115. DOI: 10.1037/abn0000942.

References

Rehm J, Shield K . Global Burden of Disease and the Impact of Mental and Addictive Disorders. Curr Psychiatry Rep. 2019; 21(2):10. DOI: 10.1007/s11920-019-0997-0. View

Martel M, Markon K, Smith G . Research Review: Multi-informant integration in child and adolescent psychopathology diagnosis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2016; 58(2):116-128. PMC: 5247337. DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12611. View

Morrell C, Brant L, Ferrucci L . Model choice can obscure results in longitudinal studies. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009; 64(2):215-22. PMC: 2655028. DOI: 10.1093/gerona/gln024. View

Katz B, Matanky K, Aviram G, Yovel I . Reinforcement sensitivity, depression and anxiety: A meta-analysis and meta-analytic structural equation model. Clin Psychol Rev. 2020; 77:101842. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101842. View

Morgan P, Farkas G, Wu Q . Kindergarten Predictors of Recurring Externalizing and Internalizing Psychopathology in 3 and 5 grade. J Emot Behav Disord. 2015; 17(2):67-79. PMC: 4532402. DOI: 10.1177/1063426608324724. View

Larson M, South M, Krauskopf E, Clawson A, Crowley M . Feedback and reward processing in high-functioning autism. Psychiatry Res. 2010; 187(1-2):198-203. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2010.11.006. View

Loxton N, Dawe S . Alcohol abuse and dysfunctional eating in adolescent girls: the influence of individual differences in sensitivity to reward and punishment. Int J Eat Disord. 2001; 29(4):455-62. DOI: 10.1002/eat.1042. View

Du Rietz E, Kuja-Halkola R, Brikell I, Jangmo A, Sariaslan A, Lichtenstein P . Predictive validity of parent- and self-rated ADHD symptoms in adolescence on adverse socioeconomic and health outcomes. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017; 26(7):857-867. PMC: 5489641. DOI: 10.1007/s00787-017-0957-3. View

Hartung C, Lefler E . Sex and gender in psychopathology: DSM-5 and beyond. Psychol Bull. 2019; 145(4):390-409. DOI: 10.1037/bul0000183. View

10.

Baumann M, Oviatt D, Garza R, Gonzalez-Blanks A, Lopez S, Alexander-Delpech P . Variation in BAS-BIS profiles across categories of cigarette use. Addict Behav. 2014; 39(10):1477-83. PMC: 4593404. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2014.05.028. View

11.

Lee S, Humphreys K, Flory K, Liu R, Glass K . Prospective association of childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use and abuse/dependence: a meta-analytic review. Clin Psychol Rev. 2011; 31(3):328-41. PMC: 3180912. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2011.01.006. View

12.

McFarland B, Klein D . Emotional reactivity in depression: diminished responsiveness to anticipated reward but not to anticipated punishment or to nonreward or avoidance. Depress Anxiety. 2008; 26(2):117-22. DOI: 10.1002/da.20513. View

13.

Platt J, Keyes K, McLaughlin K, Kaufman A . Intellectual disability and mental disorders in a US population representative sample of adolescents. Psychol Med. 2018; 49(6):952-961. PMC: 6330165. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291718001605. View

14.

Schiltz H, McVey A, Barrington A, Haendel A, Dolan B, Willar K . Behavioral inhibition and activation as a modifier process in autism spectrum disorder: Examination of self-reported BIS/BAS and alpha EEG asymmetry. Autism Res. 2018; 11(12):1653-1666. DOI: 10.1002/aur.2016. View

15.

Franken I, Muris P, Georgieva I . Gray's model of personality and addiction. Addict Behav. 2005; 31(3):399-403. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.05.022. View

16.

Oldehinkel A, Rosmalen J, Buitelaar J, Hoek H, Ormel J, Raven D . Cohort Profile Update: the TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS). Int J Epidemiol. 2014; 44(1):76-76n. PMC: 4339762. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyu225. View

17.

Wise R . Brain reward circuitry: insights from unsensed incentives. Neuron. 2002; 36(2):229-40. DOI: 10.1016/s0896-6273(02)00965-0. View

18.

Pizzagalli D, Iosifescu D, Hallett L, Ratner K, Fava M . Reduced hedonic capacity in major depressive disorder: evidence from a probabilistic reward task. J Psychiatr Res. 2008; 43(1):76-87. PMC: 2637997. DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2008.03.001. View

19.

Barker T, Buzzell G, Fox N . Approach, avoidance, and the detection of conflict in the development of behavioral inhibition. New Ideas Psychol. 2019; 53:2-12. PMC: 6518416. DOI: 10.1016/j.newideapsych.2018.07.001. View

20.

Hartman C, Luteijn E, Serra M, Minderaa R . Refinement of the Children's Social Behavior Questionnaire (CSBQ): an instrument that describes the diverse problems seen in milder forms of PDD. J Autism Dev Disord. 2006; 36(3):325-42. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-005-0072-z. View