Spatial migration of human reward processing with functional development: Evidence from quantitative meta-analyses

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies indicate age-related variations in how the brain processes rewards.
• Understanding these developmental differences is crucial for comprehending decision-making across the lifespan.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively meta-analyze fMRI data and map age-dependent differences in neural activation during reward processing.
• To elucidate the developmental trajectory of reward circuitry from childhood through adulthood.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search and quantitative meta-analysis of 70 published articles.
• Inclusion of neuroimaging data from 554 children, 1,059 adolescents, and 1,831 adults.
• Analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify age-specific patterns of brain activation.

Main Results:

• Adults exhibit widespread activation across regions including the cingulate cortex, insula, basal ganglia, and thalamus.
• Adolescents show engagement of the posterior cingulate, middle frontal gyrus, insula, and amygdala.
• Children's reward processing is primarily localized to the right insula and striatal areas.

Conclusions:

• Evidence supports a significant reorganization of brain function related to reward processing throughout childhood and adolescence.
• These findings contribute to developmental neuroscience and inform theories of age-related changes in decision-making.