Temporal discounting in adolescents and adults with Tourette syndrome

PLoS One. 2021 Jun 18;16(6):e0253620. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253620. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

Tourette syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with hyperactivity in dopaminergic networks. Dopaminergic hyperactivity in the basal ganglia has previously been linked to increased sensitivity to positive reinforcement and increases in choice impulsivity. In this study, we examine whether this extends to changes in temporal discounting, where impulsivity is operationalized as an increased preference for smaller-but-sooner over larger-but-later rewards. We assessed intertemporal choice in two studies including nineteen adolescents (age: mean[sd] = 14.21[±2.37], 13 male subjects) and twenty-five adult patients (age: mean[sd] = 29.88 [±9.03]; 19 male subjects) with Tourette syndrome and healthy age- and education matched controls. Computational modeling using exponential and hyperbolic discounting models via hierarchical Bayesian parameter estimation revealed reduced temporal discounting in adolescent patients, and no evidence for differences in adult patients. Results are discussed with respect to neural models of temporal discounting, dopaminergic alterations in Tourette syndrome and the developmental trajectory of temporal discounting. Specifically, adolescents might show attenuated discounting due to improved inhibitory functions that also affect choice impulsivity and/or the developmental trajectory of executive control functions. Future studies would benefit from a longitudinal approach to further elucidate the developmental trajectory of these effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Child
  • Delay Discounting / physiology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Impulsive Behavior*
  • Male
  • Models, Theoretical
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Tourette Syndrome / psychology*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

C.B.S. and T.S. were funded by the Walter and Marga Boll Foundation (210-06-16, URL: https://www.bollstiftung.de/). T.S. and J.C.B. were supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG: 431549029 – SFB 1451; URL: https://www.dfg.de/). J.P. was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG: PE 1627/5-1; URL: https://www.dfg.de/). A.M. was supported by the DFG (FOR 2698; URL: https://www.dfg.de/). V.B. was supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences (URL: https://acmedsci.ac.uk/). C.B.S., T.S., A.M., V.B, J.K., and J.P. conceived the idea. C.B.S., T.S., E.N., A.M., V.B., J.K.K., and J.P. conceived and designed the experiments; C.B.S., E.N., and V.B. performed the experiments; C.B.S., B.W., and J.P. analyzed the data; J.P. and B.W contributed analysis tools; B.W. performed the modelling. C.B.S. and B.W. wrote the paper. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.