Age-Related Differences in Motivational Integration and Cognitive Control
Debbie M Yee1, Sarah Adams2, Asad Beck2
1Cognitive Control and Psychopathology Laboratory, Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, 1 Brookings Drive, Campus Box 1125, St. Louis, MO, 63130, USA. debbieyee@wustl.edu.
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience
|April 14, 2019
Summary
Motivational incentives boost cognitive control in both younger and older adults. However, aging impacts how the brain integrates different rewards, leading to distinct motivational strategies.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroscience of Aging
- Decision-Making Research
Background:
- Motivational incentives are crucial for decision-making and cognitive control.
- A common neural currency integrates diverse incentive values to guide behavior.
- Understanding age-related changes in incentive integration is vital for cognitive health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in motivational incentive integration.
- To examine how liquid and monetary incentives affect cognitive performance across the lifespan.
- To identify distinct motivational strategies employed by younger and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized an innovative incentive integration task paradigm.
- Tested older (N=44) and younger (N=54) adults.
- Assessed dissociable and additive effects of liquid and monetary incentives on cognitive performance.
Main Results:
- Motivational incentives improved cognitive task performance in both age groups, ameliorating age-related deficits.
- Younger adults' performance was modulated by both liquid and monetary incentives.
- Older adults showed more gradual monetary reward effects and shifted attention from liquid to monetary incentives, unlike younger adults who integrated both.
Conclusions:
- Age-related differences exist in how individuals integrate motivational incentives.
- Older adults may exhibit impaired incentive integration and utilize different motivational strategies.
- Findings suggest potential neural mechanisms underlying age-related changes in motivation and cognition.
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