Abstract
Disruption of the dorsal frontostriatal pathways in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with impairments in motivation,
as well as in executive function. The goal of this study was to investigate whether these impairments are related and, if
so, whether the disruption of frontostriatal pathways compromises the ability to process the motivational aspects of feedback
in such tasks. In Experiment 1, informative feedback improved the performance of young, healthy participants in a task-switching paradigm. This task-switching
paradigm was then used in Experiment 2 to test whether feedback would improve the performance of 17 PD patients and age-matched controls. The PD group benefitted
from feedback to the same degree as control participants; however, depression scores on the Beck Depression Inventory were
significantly related to feedback usage, especially when response selection demands were high. Regardless of feedback, PD
patients were more impaired when response demands were high than in an equally difficult condition with low action demands.
These results suggest that response selection is a core impairment of insufficient dopamine to the dorsal frontal striatal
pathways.
as well as in executive function. The goal of this study was to investigate whether these impairments are related and, if
so, whether the disruption of frontostriatal pathways compromises the ability to process the motivational aspects of feedback
in such tasks. In Experiment 1, informative feedback improved the performance of young, healthy participants in a task-switching paradigm. This task-switching
paradigm was then used in Experiment 2 to test whether feedback would improve the performance of 17 PD patients and age-matched controls. The PD group benefitted
from feedback to the same degree as control participants; however, depression scores on the Beck Depression Inventory were
significantly related to feedback usage, especially when response selection demands were high. Regardless of feedback, PD
patients were more impaired when response demands were high than in an equally difficult condition with low action demands.
These results suggest that response selection is a core impairment of insufficient dopamine to the dorsal frontal striatal
pathways.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-14
- DOI 10.3758/s13415-011-0066-6
- Authors
- Susan M. Ravizza, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- John Goudreau, Neurology, & Pharmacology/Toxicology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA
- Mauricio R. Delgado, Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, East Lansing, USA
- Sandra Ruiz, Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
- Journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Online ISSN 1531-135X
- Print ISSN 1530-7026