Individual differences in functional brain connectivity predict temporal discounting preference in the transition to...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Adolescence involves behavioral shifts, particularly in reward valuation and delay discounting.
• Previous research linked age to reward preference, but neural circuitry is also implicated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how age and neural connectivity influence delay discounting during the childhood-to-adolescence transition.
• To examine the roles of functional connectivity within and between valuation and cognitive control systems.

Main Methods:

• Utilized mixed-effects modeling and linear regression on longitudinal and cross-sectional MRI and behavioral data.
• Analyzed data from 64 individuals (ages 7-15, 137 scans) and 84 individuals (ages 7-13).

Main Results:

• Both samples demonstrated an age-related increase in preference for larger, delayed rewards.
• Neural connectivity strength explained additional variance in discounting behavior beyond age.

Conclusions:

• Individual differences in functional brain organization contribute to age-related changes in reward valuation.
• Brain circuitry, not just age, is crucial for understanding shifts in decision-making during adolescence.