Reward Sensitivity Enhances Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex Activation during Free Choice

Abstract

Expressing one's preference via choice can be rewarding, particularly when decisions are voluntarily made as opposed to being forced. An open question is whether engaging in choices involving rewards recruits distinct neural systems as a function of sensitivity to reward. Reward sensitivity is a trait partly influenced by the mesolimbic dopamine system, which can impact an individual's neural and behavioral response to reward cues. Here, we investigated how reward sensitivity contributes to neural activity associated with free and forced choices. Participants underwent a simple decision-making task, which presented free- or forced-choice trials in the scanner. Each trial presented two cues (i.e., points or information) that led to monetary reward at the end of the task. In free-choice trials, participants were offered the opportunity to choose between different reward cues (e.g., points vs. information), whereas forced-choice trials forced individuals to choose within a given reward cue (e.g., information vs. information, or points vs. points). We found enhanced ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activation during free choice compared to forced choice in individuals with high reward sensitivity scores. Next, using the VLPFC as a seed, we conducted a PPI analysis to identify brain regions that enhance connectivity with the VLPFC during free choice. Our PPI analyses on free vs. forced choice revealed increased VLPFC connectivity with the posterior cingulate and precentral gyrus in reward sensitive individuals. These findings suggest reward sensitivity may recruit attentional control processes during free choice potentially supporting goal-directed behavior and action selection.

Cytoarchitectonic Characterization and Functional Decoding of Four New Areas in the Human Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex

“…Our findings indicated that the anterior areas of the lateral OFC, areas Fo4 and Fo5, were both of importance in working and explicit memory, which already was reported in various studies (Rolls, 2000;Wallis, 2007;Rolls and Grabenhorst, 2008;Ross et al, 2013;Zald et al, 2014). Further, several studies reported the lateral OFC being activated in reward guidedbehavior (Elliott et al, 2000;Rolls, 2000Rolls, , 2004Kringelbach and Rolls, 2004;Wallis, 2007;Rolls and Grabenhorst, 2008;Zald et al, 2014;Neubert et al, 2015;Cho et al, 2016;Dalton et al, 2016;Troiani et al, 2016;Rudebeck et al, 2017;Rudebeck and Rich, 2018), which could be corroborated in the present study for left area Fo5.…”

A pathway linking reward circuitry, impulsive sensation-seeking and risky decision-making in young adults: identifying neural markers for new interventions

“… 35 In addition, our findings not only support previous reports of significant contributions of sensation seeking to outcomes associated with risky decision-making, 71 , 72 , 73 but also support previous findings showing a moderating effect of impulsivity on the relationship between sensation seeking and risky decision-making, such that that high levels of both impulsivity and sensation seeking are necessary for risky decision-making. 26 Importantly, our findings highlight the importance of the left vlPFC in encoding stimulus-outcome associations, 46 optimistic bias, 74 free choice 75 and approach-related emotions 48 and show more precisely how elevated activity in bilateral VS and left vlPFC during uncertain RE predisposes to risky decision-making via associations with high levels of impulsivity, fun seeking and sensation seeking.…”

Altered neural activity to monetary reward/loss processing in episodic migraine

“…Cho et al . 48 also detected increased VLPFC activity in connection with higher reward sensitivity. In their study, reward sensitivity was conceptualized as consummatory pleasure derived from the joy in response to a delectable cue (ie “The smell of freshly cut grass is enjoyable to me”) 48,49 .…”

“…48 also detected increased VLPFC activity in connection with higher reward sensitivity. In their study, reward sensitivity was conceptualized as consummatory pleasure derived from the joy in response to a delectable cue (ie “The smell of freshly cut grass is enjoyable to me”) 48,49 . Moreover, previous findings suggested the important role of lPFC in the prediction of reward information 50 and in stimulus-reward associations as well 51 .…”