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Reduced autonomic responsiveness to gambling task losses in Huntington's disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2004

MEGHAN C. CAMPBELL
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
JULIE C. STOUT
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
PETER R. FINN
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

Abstract

We examined the possible role of autonomic activity in Huntington's disease (HD) during a risky decision making task. Skin conductance responses (SCRs) of 15 HD participants and 16 healthy controls were measured while they performed a computerized version of the Simulated Gambling Task (SGT). The results replicated our previous finding of a performance decrement in HD, and showed that HD was associated with an altered pattern of SCRs during the risky decision task. Specifically, the healthy controls produced increased SCRs following selections from the disadvantageous decks and following losing selections. In contrast, the SCRs of the HD group did not differentiate between wins and losses. These findings indicate a reduced impact of loss on decision-making processes under risky conditions in HD. (JINS, 2004, 10, 239–245.)

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2004 The International Neuropsychological Society

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