Suzanne R Neumann1, Paul Glue2, Richard J Linscott1. 1. Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand. 2. Department of Psychological Medicine, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Aberrant salience may contribute to the development of schizophrenia symptoms via alterations in reward processing and motivation. However, tests of this hypothesis have yielded inconsistent results. These inconsistencies may reflect problems with the validity and specificity of measures of aberrant salience in schizophrenia. Therefore, we investigated relationships among measures of aberrant salience, reward, and motivation in schizophrenia and anxiety. METHOD: Individuals with schizophrenia (n = 30), anxiety (n = 33) or unaffected by mental disorder (n = 30) completed measures of aberrant salience [Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), Salience Attribution Test (SAT)], motivation (Effort Expenditure for Reward Task), and reinforcer sensitivity (Stimulus Chase Task). RESULTS: Schizophrenia participants scored higher than anxiety (d = 0.71) and unaffected (d = 1.54) groups on the ASI and exhibited greater aberrant salience (d = 0.60) and lower adaptive salience (d = 0.98) than anxious participants on the SAT. There was no evidence of a correlation between measures of aberrant salience. Schizophrenia was associated with related deficits in motivated behaviour and maladaptive reward processing. However, these differences in reward processing did not correlate with aberrant salience measures. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that key measures of aberrant salience have limited specificity and validity. These problems may account for inconsistent findings reported in the literature.
BACKGROUND: Aberrant salience may contribute to the development of schizophrenia symptoms via alterations in reward processing and motivation. However, tests of this hypothesis have yielded inconsistent results. These inconsistencies may reflect problems with the validity and specificity of measures of aberrant salience in schizophrenia. Therefore, we investigated relationships among measures of aberrant salience, reward, and motivation in schizophrenia and anxiety. METHOD: Individuals with schizophrenia (n = 30), anxiety (n = 33) or unaffected by mental disorder (n = 30) completed measures of aberrant salience [Aberrant Salience Inventory (ASI), Salience Attribution Test (SAT)], motivation (Effort Expenditure for Reward Task), and reinforcer sensitivity (Stimulus Chase Task). RESULTS: Schizophrenia participants scored higher than anxiety (d = 0.71) and unaffected (d = 1.54) groups on the ASI and exhibited greater aberrant salience (d = 0.60) and lower adaptive salience (d = 0.98) than anxious participants on the SAT. There was no evidence of a correlation between measures of aberrant salience. Schizophrenia was associated with related deficits in motivated behaviour and maladaptive reward processing. However, these differences in reward processing did not correlate with aberrant salience measures. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that key measures of aberrant salience have limited specificity and validity. These problems may account for inconsistent findings reported in the literature.
Authors: Christopher Dawes; Declan Quinn; Andrea Bickerdike; Cian O'Neill; Kiri T Granger; Sarah Carneiro Pereira; Sue Lynn Mah; Mark Haselgrove; John L Waddington; Colm O'Tuathaigh; Paula M Moran Journal: Schizophr Res Cogn Date: 2022-01-05