The Characteristics of Associative Learning of Reward Approach and Loss Aversion in Schizophrenia

Objectives: Schizophrenia patients have deficits of prediction and learning related to dopaminergic dysfunction. It is hypothe-sized that there would be different characteristics in associative learning of reward approach and loss aversion between controls and patients. Methods: Participants were 23 healthy participants and 20 out-patients fulfilling criteria for schizophrenia according DSM-IV-TR. Using a monetary incentive contingency reversal task, successful learning rates, numbers of trials and errors till learning, numbers of trials of maintaining learning, response times were measured. Characteristics of learning were compared between controls and patients. Results: Physical anhedonia and PANSS negative symptom scores correlated with the number of trials while loss aversion wa