Some Today, More Tomorrow: A Pilot Study on Delay Discounting in Adolescents with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD)

ObjectivesAdolescents with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) often experience challenges with executive functioning (EF) and impulsive decision-making; however, little is known about their processing of delayed gratification. This exploratory pilot study aimed to characterize rates of delay discounting in adolescents with FASD and explore the relationship between delay discounting and other EF measures.MethodsTwenty-three adolescents with FASD (ages 11–17 years) completed the Monetary Choice Questionnaire (Kirby, 1999), a measure of delay discounting of hypothetical monetary rewards, and four executive functioning (EF) tasks assessing inhibitory control and affective decision-making.ResultsDiscounting rates across the sample were scattered and did not correlate significantly with EF measures.ConclusionsResults provide preliminary discounting rates that can serve as a point of reference for future research on reward processing in FASD. Results additionally demonstrate the heterogeneity of FASD presentations on a measure of delay discounting. Further research in this area can contribute to an understanding of neurocognitive and behavioral profiles of FASD and can ultimately guide interventions that foster adaptive decision-making.