Delineating the social valuation network in adolescents

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Social Neuroscience

Background:

• Adolescents' heightened sensitivity to peer approval is typical but can be detrimental for vulnerable individuals, potentially leading to affective disorders.
• Understanding the neural basis of how adolescents process peer evaluation is crucial for identifying intervention targets.
• Previous research often averaged neural responses, missing real-time, trial-by-trial updates in social decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural underpinnings of social value processing in adolescents during peer evaluation.
• To determine if the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), known for non-social valuation, also tracks social feedback.
• To identify a broader neural network involved in adolescent social decision-making.

Main Methods:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 55 healthy adolescents.
• The Chatroom Task was used to probe peer evaluation in a controlled setting.
• A computational approach was employed to analyze trial-by-trial social value signals.

Main Results:

• Social value signals were significantly encoded in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC).
• A broader social-specific valuation network, including the precuneus and amygdala, was identified.
• Neural activity correlated with real-time updating of social value during peer feedback.

Conclusions:

• The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in encoding social value during peer evaluation in adolescents.
• Adolescent social decision-making involves a distributed network beyond the mPFC, including the precuneus and amygdala.
• Identifying these neural markers can inform future interventions for adolescent mental health related to social processing.