Source
Northwest Hepatitis C Resource Center, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, OR 97239, USA. marilyn.huckans@va.gov
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Determine whether adults with hepatitis C (HCV), regardless of substance use disorder, are more likely to discount delayed rewards than adults without hepatitis C, and explore the relationship between delay discounting and neuropsychological functioning.
METHODS:
Procedures included clinical interviews, neuropsychological testing, and a delay discounting task.
RESULTS:
Regardless of substance abuse history, adults with hepatitis C were significantly more likely to choose smaller immediate rewards over larger delayed rewards. Delay discounting correlated with performance on executive functioning tasks.
CONCLUSIONS:
Increased discounting is associated with broad executive dysfunction, suggesting that HCV-associated executive dysfunction may lead to altered decision-making style.