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Precision Imaging for Intraindividual Investigation of the Reward Response.

Matthew Mattoni¹, Shenghan Wang¹, Cooper J Sharp¹

¹Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Human Brain Mapping

|March 25, 2026

Summary

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies need more within-person analysis. Our intensive longitudinal fMRI data reveal reward responses are influenced by mood and alertness, not stable traits.

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Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Cognitive Neuroscience
Behavioral Science

Background:

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research often relies on between-person comparisons, which are limited by low test-retest reliability and an inability to capture within-person dynamics.
Understanding how dynamic changes in brain function correlate with behavioral shifts necessitates intensive intraindividual studies.

Purpose of the Study:

To present open data and analysis from a novel, intensively sampled fMRI study focusing on within-person variability.
To investigate the nature of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) reward response, examining its between-person versus within-person variance.
To explore the influence of state-like factors, such as mood and alertness, on reward processing.

Main Methods:

Acquisition of a precision imaging dataset with 44 sessions across four participants at a twice-weekly rate.

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Inclusion of multiple reward-related tasks, mood/alertness ratings, and behavioral mood manipulation within each session.

Analysis using trial-level models to assess reliability and intraindividual variance, comparing multi-echo denoising and multivariate versus univariate approaches.

Main Results:

Trial-level models indicate a need for substantially more trials than typically collected to maximize reliability within runs and individuals.
Test-retest reliability of the reward response was notably low, suggesting limited power for between-person comparisons without extensive data.
Intraindividually, mood and alertness accounted for up to 37% of the variance in the anticipatory reward response.
Multi-echo denoising did not enhance reliability or brain-behavior associations, but a multivariate reward signature showed stronger intraindividual behavioral correlations than a univariate mask.

Conclusions:

The BOLD reward response is not a stable trait but is significantly moderated by state-like factors like mood and alertness.
Intensive longitudinal fMRI designs offer substantial opportunities for within-person studies, complementing traditional between-person approaches.
Findings highlight the potential for within-person analyses to reveal dynamic brain-behavior relationships in fMRI research.