Increased Neural Reward Responsivity in Adolescents with ASD after Social Skills Intervention

The reward system has been implicated as a potential neural mechanism underlying social-communication deficits in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether the neural reward system in ASD is sensitive to behavioral interventions. The current study measured...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain sciences 2020-06, Vol.10 (6), p.402
Main Authors: Baker, Elizabeth, Veytsman, Elina, Martin, Ann Marie, Blacher, Jan, Stavropoulos, Katherine K. M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Autism
autism spectrum disorder
Behavior modification
Brief Report
Cognitive ability
EEG
Electroencephalography
ERP
Event-related potentials
Hypotheses
Intervention
Nervous system
Reinforcement
reward response
RewP
sensitization
Social skills
Teenagers
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Summary:The reward system has been implicated as a potential neural mechanism underlying social-communication deficits in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether the neural reward system in ASD is sensitive to behavioral interventions. The current study measured the reward positivity (RewP) in response to social and nonsocial stimuli in seven adolescents with ASD before and after participation in the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS®) intervention. This study also included seven neurotypical adolescents who were tested at two time points but did not receive intervention. We examined the RewP across the course of a task by comparing brain activity during the first versus second half of trials to understand patterns of responsivity over time. Improvements in social skills and decreased social-communication impairments for teens with ASD were observed after PEERS®. Event-related potential (ERP) results suggested increased reward sensitivity during the first half of trials in the ASD group after intervention. Adolescents with ASD who exhibited less reward-related brain activity before intervention demonstrated the greatest behavioral benefits from the intervention. These findings have implications for how neuroscience can be used as an objective outcome measure before and after intervention in ASD.
ISSN:2076-3425
2076-3425
DOI:10.3390/brainsci10060402