Many rehabilitation protocols following traumatic brain injury (TBI)
utilize reinforcement and reward to influence behavior and facilitate
recovery; however, previous studies suggest survivors of severe TBI
demonstrate impairments in contingency utilization and sensitivity. The
precise neurobiological mechanisms underlying these deficits have not been
thoroughly explored, but can be examined using the “feedback-related
negativity” (FRN)— an event-related potential (ERP) component
evoked following performance or response feedback (e.g., whether a
monetary reward is obtained) with a larger FRN following unfavorable than
favorable outcomes—particularly when unfavorable feedback occurs in
the context of high reward probability. We examined ERPs elicited by
favorable (monetary gain: “reward”) and unfavorable (no
monetary gain: “non-reward”) feedback during a guessing task
where probability of reward outcome was manipulated in survivors of severe
TBI and demographically matched healthy participants. Consistent with
previous findings, controls showed larger amplitude FRN to non-reward
feedback and the largest amplitude FRN following a non-reward when reward
probability context was greatest. In contrast, FRN in TBI participants did
not significantly differentiate non-reward from reward trials and their
FRN was largest to reward trials in the low reward probability context.
Findings implicate an electrophysiological marker of impaired reward
context sensitivity following severe TBI. (JINS, 2007,
13, 615–625.)