Cited by 164Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorFree Will and Agency

Individual Differences in Premotor Brain Systems Underlie Behavioral Apathy

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Bonnelle, Valerie, Manohar, Sanjay, Behrens, Tim, Husain, Masud·2015·Cerebral Cortex

Abstract

Lack of physical engagement, productivity, and initiative-so-called "behavioral apathy"--is a common problem with significant impact, both personal and economic. Here, we investigate whether there might be a biological basis to such lack of motivation using a new effort and reward-based decision-making paradigm, combined with functional and diffusion-weighted imaging. We hypothesized that behavioral apathy in otherwise healthy people might be associated with differences in brain systems underlying either motivation to act (specifically in effort and reward-based decision-making) or in action processing (transformation of an intention into action). The results demonstrate that behavioral apathy is associated with increased effort sensitivity as well as greater recruitment of neural systems involved in action anticipation: supplementary motor area (SMA) and cingulate motor zones. In addition, decreased structural and functional connectivity between anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and SMA were associated with increased behavioral apathy. These findings reveal that effort sensitivity and translation of intentions into actions might make a critical contribution to behavioral apathy. We propose a mechanism whereby inefficient communication between ACC and SMA might lead to increased physiological cost--and greater effort sensitivity--for action initiation in more apathetic people.

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Authors
Bonnelle, V., Manohar, S., Behrens, T., & Husain, M.
Affiliations
University of Oxford (GB)
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Published
2015-11-12
Volume
26
Issue
2
Pages
bhv247
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
OpenAlex
W2179264811
Cited by
163
References
76
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 25 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 13
FWCI
9.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
Funders
Wellcome Trust
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Free Will and Agency
Keywords
reward-based decision-making, effort-based decision making, supplementary motor area, anterior cingulate cortex, action prediction, structural connectivity, functional connectivity, motivation
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain Mapping, Cues, Decision Making, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Individuality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Motor Cortex, Neural Pathways, Photic Stimulation, Psychophysics, Reward, Young Adult, Feedback, Sensory, Apathy, Self Report, White Matter

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