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Age-related differences in ERP correlates of value-based decision making
Poyu Chen1, Hsin-Yi Hung2, Joshua Oon Soo Goh3
1Department of Occupational Therapy and Graduate Institute of Behavioral Sciences, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Healthy Aging Research Center, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Older adults exhibit distinct neural processing of value during decision-making, showing increased risk-taking due to altered early neural responses and heightened subjective uncertainty. This impacts how they evaluate potential rewards and losses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Aging affects cognitive functions, including decision-making and neural processing of value.
- Understanding age-related neural differences is crucial for explaining behavioral changes in older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in the temporal dynamics of neural processing during value-based decision-making.
- To compare brain activity patterns between younger and older adults using event-related potentials (ERPs).
Main Methods:
- A lottery-choice task was employed to assess decision-making behavior.
- Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to analyze neural activity during choice and outcome phases.
- Analysis focused on specific ERP components like P2, P3, feedback-related negativity, and late parietal positivity.
Main Results:
- Older adults accepted more losing stakes, indicating higher risk-taking behavior.
- Neural responses differed, with younger adults showing a clearer P3 amplitude increase with win probability, while older adults displayed altered P2 and P3 patterns.
- Both groups demonstrated intact reward prediction error signaling, but older adults showed more complex feedback-P3 responses to expectancy violations.
Conclusions:
- Age-related differences in neural processing of value, particularly reduced early sensory processing and increased reliance on subjective factors, may explain increased risk-taking in older adults.
- Older adults may experience greater subjective uncertainty in reward expectations, influencing their decisions.
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