Reward enhances connectivity between the ventral striatum and the default mode network

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Social Neuroscience

Background:

• The default mode network (DMN) is implicated in social, cognitive, and affective functions.
• Previous research has not fully explored how DMN contributions vary with psychological context.
• A comprehensive understanding of DMN function requires examining its context-dependent interactions with other brain regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the context-dependent connectivity of the DMN during a reward task.
• To explore how the DMN interacts with other brain networks, including those involving the prefrontal cortex.
• To determine if DMN connectivity patterns relate to individual differences in personality.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a novel network-based psychophysiological interaction (nPPI) analysis.
• Applied the analysis to reward task data from the Human Connectome Project.
• Examined task-evoked responses and functional connectivity of the DMN, executive control network, and frontoparietal networks.

Main Results:

• The DMN showed decreased activation during the task, while other networks (executive control, frontoparietal) showed increased activation.
• Reward experience significantly enhanced task-dependent connectivity between the DMN and the ventral striatum.
• The strength of DMN-ventral striatum connectivity positively correlated with personality traits related to openness.

Conclusions:

• The DMN's contribution to other brain systems is modulated by psychological context, specifically during reward processing.
• Task-dependent connectivity between the DMN and ventral striatum is a key finding, specific to the DMN.
• Individual differences in personality, such as openness, are associated with DMN functional connectivity patterns during reward tasks.