Aging and decision making under uncertainty: Behavioral and neural evidence for the preservation of decision making in the absence of learning in old age

Hosseini, S. M. Hadi; Rostami, Maryam; Yomogida, Yukihito; Takahashi, Makoto; Tsukiura, Takashi; Kawashima, Ryuta

doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.05.008

Cited by 46 publications

(45 citation statements)

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“…In addition, both the FRN and the reward positivity ERP components typically constitute a 'complex' with the following P3 component peaking at approximately between 300 and 500 ms [27][28][29]. The P3 is thought to reflect a more thorough evaluative process of the outcome events [30][31][32], including the local and global probabilistic properties, motivational significance of the stimuli, and also the amount of expended/invested attention [33].Data collected in various experimental conditions in which inferences of reinforcement learning were addressed via feedback-related evaluation processes show an age-dependent decrease regarding the amplitudes of feedback-related ERP components [34][35][36]. Accordingly, imaging approaches suggest that the elderly have difficulties in representing outcome values during predictive processing due to decreased frontostriatal connectivity with age [5,20].…”

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Age-related characteristics of risky decision-making and progressive expectation formation

Kardos

Kóbor

Takács

et al. 2016

Behavioural Brain Research

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During daily encounters, it is inevitable that people take risks. Investigating the sequential processing of risk hazards involve expectation formation about outcome contingencies. The present study aimed to explore risk behavior and its neural correlates in sequences of decision making, particularly in old age, which represents a critical period regarding risk-taking propensity. The Balloon Analogue Risk Task was used in an electrophysiological setting with young and elderly age groups. During the task each additional pump on a virtual balloon increased the likelihood of a balloon burst but also increased the chance to collect more reward. Event-related potentials associated with rewarding feedback were analyzed based on the forthcoming decisions (whether to continue or to stop) in order to differentiate between states of expectation towards gain or loss. In the young, the reward positivity ERP component increased as a function of reward contingencies with the largest amplitude for rewarding feedback followed by the decision to stop. In the elderly, however, reward positivity did not reflect the effect of reward structure. Behavioral indices of risk-taking propensity suggest that the performance of the young and the elderly were dissociable only with respect to response times: The elderly was characterized by hesitation and more deliberative decision making throughout the experiment. These findings signify that sequential tracking of outcome contingencies has a key role in cost-efficient action planning and progressive expectation formation.Keywords: Aging; Decision making; Feedback-related ERPs; Reward positivity; Risk-taking behavior Whether we are aware of the fact or not, risk-taking behavior occurs more frequently during our everyday actions than generally thought. Besides those simple and common examples like taking only one more drink before driving, a temporary excursion from one's self-regulatory goals, i.e., risking the long-term goals for short-term advantages such as making a cheat in a diet, can be considered as a more complex form of 'gambling' [1]. Risk-taking behavior can be defined as a decision making propensity motivated by gain reward beside the possible opportunity to lose [2][3][4]. Since natural circumstances usually include continuous fluctuations in risk, the ability of making decisions based on the acquisition of action-outcome contingencies is an essential part of adaptive risk behavior [5]. In particular, old age represents a critical period due to substantial neurocognitive changes having an effect on both frontal cortical and subcortical brain areas known to be involved in decision making [6,7]. The question remains, however, whether there is a specific inability of the acquisition of relevant information behind the possibly reduced decision quality of the elderly.From the perspective of self-report questionnaires, elderly are characterized by higher risk-avoidance tendency [8]. However, regarding risk behavior, results show evidence for both normal and altered patterns of ...

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confidence: 99%

“…amplitudes of feedback-related ERP components [34][35][36]. Accordingly, imaging approaches suggest that the elderly have difficulties in representing outcome values during predictive processing due to decreased frontostriatal connectivity with age [5,20].…”

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confidence: 99%

Age-related characteristics of risky decision-making and progressive expectation formation

Kardos

Kóbor

Takács

et al. 2016

Behavioural Brain Research

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“…Although some age-related impairments in risky decision making have been linked to cognitive limitations related to processing speed and memory or learning to implement cognitively demanding strategies , in other decision making scenarios that are not as cognitively demanding the LPFC is similarly engaged and performance is equal between younger and older adults (Hosseini et al, 2010). In contrast, age-related changes in the function of the mesolimbic dopamine system are the focus of the present work.…”

Section: Wwwfrontiersinorgmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Successful performance requires learning of outcome contingencies, but likely also taps other cognitiveaffective processes (e.g., Wood et al, 2005). Findings with healthy older adults have been mixed, with some studies showing agerelated deficits Fein et al, 2007;Zamarian et al, 2008), and others reporting no age differences (Kovalchik et al, 2005;Wood et al, 2005; see also Hosseini et al, 2010). There is also no consistent evidence for age-by-valence effects on learning (but see Wood et al, 2005;.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decision Making Across the Life Span

Li¹,

Ridderinkhof²,

Samanez-Larkin³

2014

Frontiers Research Topics

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“…In aging it has been increasingly common the maintenance of a productive lifestyle, so that they continue facing complex decisions such as selection of financial options, managing their lifetimes, treatment of multiple diseases and the decision of how to live the following year in the best way. Understanding the decision-making process in the later stages of life, therefore, becomes extremely important [3][4][5] . The neural mechanisms involved in the decision-making process are a major target of research in the field of cognitive and behavioral neuroscience 6,7 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Normal aging and decision-making: a systematic review of the literature of the last 10 years

Wiesiolek

Foss

Diniz

2014

J. bras. psiquiatr.

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objective: Conduct a systematic review to investigate whether healthy elderly have deficits in the decision-making process when compared to the young. Methods: We performed a systematic search on SciELO, Lilacs, PsycINFO, Scopus and PubMed database with keywords decision making and aging (according to the description of Mesh terms) at least 10 years. results: We found nine studies from different countries, who investigated 441 young and 377 elderly. All studies used the IOWA Gambling Task as a way of benchmarking the process of decision making. The analysis showed that 78% of the articles did not have significant differences between groups. However, 100% of the studies that assessed learning did find relevant differences. Furthermore, studies that observed the behavior of individuals in the face of losses and gains, 60% of articles showed that the elderly has more disadvantageous choices throughout the task. Conclusion: The consulted literature showed no consensus on the existence of differences in performance of the decision-making process between old and young, but it is observed that the elderly has deficits in learning and a tendency to fewer advantageous choices. rESUMo objetivo: Realizar uma revisão sistemática para investigar se idosos saudáveis apresentam disfunções no processo de tomada de decisão quando comparados a jovens. Métodos: Foi realizada uma busca sistemática nas bases de dados SciELO, Lilacs, PsycINFO, Scopus e PubMed, com as palavras-chave decision making and aging (de acordo com a descrição dos termos Mesh) dos últimos 10 anos. resultados: Foram encontrados nove estudos de diferentes países, que investigaram 441 jovens e 377 idosos. Como resultado, observou-se que 78% dos artigos não encontram diferenças significativas entre os grupos. Porém, 100% dos estudos que avaliaram o aprendizado encontram diferenças significativas. Além disso, dos estudos que observaram o comportamento dos indivíduos perante as perdas e ganhos, 60% mostraram que os idosos apresentam mais escolhas desvantajosas ao longo do teste. Conclusão: Os artigos avaliados não apresentaram um consenso em relação à existência de diferenças no processo de tomada de decisão entre idosos e jovens, porém observa-se que os idosos apresentam dificuldade no aprendizado e tendência a escolhas menos vantajosas.

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Aging and decision making under uncertainty: Behavioral and neural evidence for the preservation of decision making in the absence of learning in old age

Cited by 46 publications

References 63 publications

Age-related characteristics of risky decision-making and progressive expectation formation

Age-related characteristics of risky decision-making and progressive expectation formation

Decision Making Across the Life Span

Normal aging and decision-making: a systematic review of the literature of the last 10 years

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