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Neuroscience JoVE (Open Access) Citable · DOI

An Electrophysiology Protocol to Measure Reward Anticipation and Processing in Children

DOI: 10.3791/58348-v
What you'll learn
  • ✓ Set up EEG stimulus presentation for reward paradigms in children
  • ✓ Record and analyze EEG activity during social and nonsocial reward conditions
  • ✓ Interpret neural correlates of reward anticipation in neurotypical versus autistic children
Protocol

Biopharma Insights This protocol is designed to measure reward anticipation and processing in young children with and without autism. Specifically, the protocol is designed to study the neural correlates of reward during social and nonsocial conditions while controlling for reward between conditions.

Difficulty
advanced
Total time
~1–2 hours per participant (including setup, EEG preparation, task execution, and baseline recording)

Steps

1
Configure EEG stimuli and experimental conditions

Set up visual stimulus presentation parameters for social and nonsocial reward cues. Define trial timing, reward contingencies, and counterbalancing between conditions to ensure equivalent reward values.

▶ 00:41
2
Prepare participant and acquire EEG recording

Apply EEG electrode cap, establish impedance levels, and initiate continuous recording during rest and task phases. Monitor signal quality throughout social and nonsocial reward anticipation blocks.

▶ 01:19
3
Analyze anticipatory brain activity patterns

Process EEG data to identify event-related potentials (ERPs) and oscillatory activity linked to reward anticipation. Compare neural responses between neurotypical and autistic populations during social versus nonsocial cue presentation.

▶ 03:58
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