Title
The effects of age on reward magnitude processing in the monetary incentive delay task.
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested age-related differences in reward-directed behavior and cerebral processes in support of the age effects. However, it remains unclear how age may influence the processing of reward magnitude. Here, with 54 volunteers (22–74 years of age) participating in the Monetary Incentive Delay Task (MIDT) with explicit cues ($1, ¢1, or nil) and timed response to win, we characterized brain activations during anticipation and feedback and the effects of age on these regional activations. Behaviorally, age was associated with less reaction time (RT) difference between dollar and cent trials, as a result of slower response to the dollar trials; i.e., age was positively correlated with RT dollar – RT cent, with RT nil as a covariate. Both age and the RT difference ($1 - ¢1) were correlated with diminished activation of the right caudate head, right anterior insula, supplementary motor area (SMA)/pre-SMA, visual cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, right superior/middle frontal gyri, and left primary motor cortex during anticipation of $1 vs. ¢1 reward. Further, these regional activities mediated the age effects on RT differences. In responses to outcomes, age was associated with decreases in regional activations to dollar vs. cent loss but only because of higher age-related responses to cent losses. Together, these findings suggest age-related differences in sensitivity to the magnitude of reward. With lower cerebral responses during anticipation to win large rewards and higher responses to outcomes of small loss, aging incurs a constricted sensitivity to the magnitude of reward.
Year
DOI
Venue
2020
10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116368
NeuroImage
Keywords
Field
DocType
Aging,Reward,MIDT,fMRI,Ventral striatum
SMA*,Insula,Developmental psychology,Incentive,Visual cortex,Anticipation,Psychology,Supplementary motor area,Audiology,Parahippocampal gyrus,Liberian dollar
Journal
Volume
ISSN
Citations 
207
1053-8119
1
PageRank 
References 
Authors
0.36
0
8
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Isha Dhingra110.36
Sheng Zhang2334.53
Simon Zhornitsky310.70
Thang Le410.36
Wuyi Wang510.70
Herta H Chao671.53
Ifat Levy710.36
Chiang-shan Ray Li8195.13