Citation

Cheng GL, Tang JC, Li FW, Lau EYY, Lee TM. Schizophr. Res. 2012; 136(1-3): 122-127.

Affiliation

Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.schres.2012.01.002

PMID

22285654

Abstract

Risky decision-making is subserved by the frontostriatal system, which includes a network of interconnected brain regions known to be dysfunctional in patients with schizophrenia. This study aimed to investigate whether and to what extent patients with schizophrenia display a different pattern of risk-taking behavior relative to matched healthy controls. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) and the Risky-Gains Task were used as naturalistic measures of risk-taking behavior in 25 patients with schizophrenia and 25 controls. Results of the BART revealed that patients behaved more conservatively, and this in turn led to suboptimal risky decision-making. Consistently, patients behaved more conservatively in the Risky-Gains Task. Interestingly, however, they adjusted the pattern of risk-taking following a punished trial similar to controls. These findings indicate that patients have impaired reward but preserved punishment processing. This study complements previous studies on decision-making in schizophrenia and suggests specific rather than widespread abnormalities along the frontostriatal system in schizophrenia.

Language: en