Reward sensitivity modulates brain activity in the prefrontal cortex, ACC and striatum during task switching

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 13;10(4):e0123073. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0123073. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Current perspectives on cognitive control acknowledge that individual differences in motivational dispositions may modulate cognitive processes in the absence of reward contingencies. This work aimed to study the relationship between individual differences in Behavioral Activation System (BAS) sensitivity and the neural underpinnings involved in processing a switching cue in a task-switching paradigm. BAS sensitivity was hypothesized to modulate brain activity in frontal regions, ACC and the striatum. Twenty-eight healthy participants underwent fMRI while performing a switching task, which elicited activity in fronto-striatal regions during the processing of the switch cue. BAS sensitivity was negatively associated with activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex and the ventral striatum. Combined with previous results, our data indicate that BAS sensitivity modulates the neurocognitive processes involved in task switching in a complex manner depending on task demands. Therefore, individual differences in motivational dispositions may influence cognitive processing in the absence of reward contingencies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cognition
  • Corpus Striatum / physiology*
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / physiology*
  • Gyrus Cinguli / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Reward*
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the Brainglot Project of the 2010 CONSOLIDER-INGENIO Program (CSD2007-00012). The project was also supported by grants from MINECO (PSI2012-33054), the Spanish National Drug Strategy (4623/2011), the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumption, the Generalitat Valenciana (GV/2012/042) and Universitat Jaume I (P1-1A2010-01) to ABL. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.