Coupling and segregation of large-scale brain networks predict individual differences in delay discounting

Abstract

Decision-making about rewards, which requires us to choose between different time points, generally refers to intertemporal choice. Converging evidence suggests that some of the brain networks recruited in the delay discounting task have been well characterized for intertemporal choice. However, little is known about how the connectivity patterns of these large-scale brain networks are associated with delay discounting. Here, we use a resting-state functional connectivity MRI (rs-fcMRI) and a graph theoretical analysis to address this question. We found that the delay discounting rates showed a positive correlation with the functional network connectivity (FNC) between the cingulo-opercular network (CON) and the default mode network (DMN), while they showed a negative correlation with the FNC of both the CON-SAN (salience network) and the SAN-FPN (fronto-parietal network). Our results showed the association of both coupling and segregating processes with large-scale brain networks in delay discounting. Thus, the present study highlights the pivotal role of the functional connectivity patterns of intrinsic large-scale brain networks in delay discounting and extends our perspective on the neural mechanism of delay discounting.