Cited by 557Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorDecision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Preference for immediate over delayed rewards is associated with magnitude of ventral striatal activity

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Hariri, Ahmad R., Brown, Sarah M., Williamson, Douglas E., Flory, Janine D., de Wit, Harriet, Manuck, Stephen B.·2006·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Discounting future outcomes as a function of their deferred availability underlies much of human decision making. Discounting, or preference for immediate over delayed rewards of larger value, is often associated with impulsivity and is a risk factor for addictive disorders such as pathological gambling, cigarette smoking, and drug and alcohol abuse. The ventral striatum (VS) is involved in mediating behavioral responses and physiological states associated with reward, and dysregulation of the VS contributes to addiction, perhaps by affecting impulsive decision-making. Behavioral tests of delay discounting (DD), which index preference for smaller immediate over larger delayed rewards, covary with impulsive tendencies in humans. In the current study, we examined the relationship between individual differences in DD, measured in a behavioral assessment, and VS activity measured with blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging, in 45 adult volunteers. VS activity was determined using a task involving positive and negative feedback with monetary reward. Analyses revealed that individual differences in DD correlate positively with magnitude of VS activation in response to both positive and negative feedback, compared with a no-feedback control condition. Variability in DD was also associated with differential VS activation in response to positive, compared with negative, feedback. Collectively, our results suggest that increased preference for smaller immediate over larger delayed rewards reflects both a relatively indiscriminate and hyper-reactive VS circuitry. They also highlight a specific neurocognitive mechanism that may contribute to increased risk for addiction.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.3446-06.2006

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  • Experimental data suggest an association between risky and impulsive behavior, characteristic of ADHD, and dopamine release or dopamine-dependent BOLD response to rewards in the striatum.

    “Additionally, experimental data suggest an association between risky and impulsive behavior, which is characteristic of ADHD,14–16 and dopamine release or dopamine-dependent BOLD response to rewards in the striatum.11,17–20”

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Authors
Hariri, A. R., Brown, S. M., Williamson, D. E., Flory, J. D., de Wit, H., & Manuck, S. B.
Affiliations
  • University of Pittsburgh (US)
  • City University of New York (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2006-12-20
Volume
26
Issue
51
Pages
13213-13217
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2055042587
Cited by
557
References
25
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 59 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 27 · 2016: 24 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 38 · 2012: 53
FWCI
11.65
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
  • National Institutes of Health (PO1 HL040962, HL040962)
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01HL065137, P01HL040962)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH072837)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords
delay discounting, ventral striatum, impulsivity, individual differences, reward processing, negative feedback, addiction risk, impulsive decision-making, monetary rewards, functional MRI
MeSH terms
Adult, Basal Ganglia, Choice Behavior, Female, Humans, Impulsive Behavior, Male, Middle Aged, Nerve Net, Reward, Risk Factors, Time Factors, Behavior, Addictive, Feedback, Psychological

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