Activity In Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Research Articles

Prefrontal cortex-mediated inhibition supports face recognition.

Inhibitory processes are thought to be important for memory function. A recent behavioral study that employed a face recognition paradigm reported that participants made fewer "old" responses to highly similar faces than less similar faces, providing evidence that memory for faces may rely on related-item inhibition. However, these results could also be explained by a non-inhibitory recall-to-reject process. The current study sought to use fMRI connectivity analysis to distinguish between these hypotheses. Although both hypotheses predict correct rejection of highly similar faces will produce activity in the prefrontal cortex, the inhibition hypothesis predicts negative connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and regions associated with memory retrieval and face processing, whereas the recall-to-reject hypothesis predicts positive connectivity between these regions. During the study phase, participants were presented with male and female faces. During the test phase, they viewed old faces, related face morphs (20-80% similar to old faces), and new faces, and made "old"-"new" judgements. Correct rejection of highly similar face morphs was associated with increased activity in the right lateral prefrontal cortex and negative connectivity between this region and regions associated with face processing and memory retrieval. These results indicate that prefrontal cortex-mediated memory inhibition supports face recognition.

Erotic cue exposure increases neural reward responses without modulating temporal discounting

Abstract Humans prefer smaller sooner over larger later rewards, a tendency denoted as temporal discounting. Discounting of future rewards is increased in multiple maladaptive behaviors and clinical conditions. Although temporal discounting is stable over time, it is partly under contextual control. Appetitive (erotic) cues might increase preferences for immediate rewards, although evidence to date remains mixed. Reward circuit activity was hypothesized to drive increases in temporal discounting following cue exposure, yet this was never tested directly. We examined erotic vs. neutral cue exposure effects on subsequent temporal discounting in a preregistered within-subjects study in healthy male participants (n = 38). Functional magnetic resonance imaging assessed neural cue-reactivity, value-computations, and choice-related effects. We replicated previous findings of value-coding in ventromedial prefrontal cortices, striatum, and cingulate cortex. Likewise, as hypothesized, lateral prefrontal cortex activity increased during delayed reward choices, potentially reflecting cognitive control. Erotic cue exposure was associated with increased activity in attention and reward circuits. Contrary to preregistered hypotheses, temporal discounting was unaffected by cue exposure, and cue responses in reward circuits did not reliably predict changes in behavior. Our results raise doubts on the hypothesis that upregulation of (dopaminergic) reward systems following erotic cue exposure is sufficient to drive myopic approach behavior towards immediate rewards.

Neural correlates of autobiographical memory retrieval: An SDM neuroimaging meta-analysis

Autobiographical memory (AM) is a type of episodic memory that involves the recollection and re-experiencing of personal life events. AM retrieval is a complex process requiring the coordination of multiple memory processes across the brain. Important questions remain regarding the degree to which specific brain regions are consistently recruited during AM retrieval and the influence of methodological factors such as type of AM retrieval task and control task. Neuroimaging meta-analyses can summarize the brain regions associated with AM retrieval, addressing these questions by revealing consistent findings across multiple studies. We used a coordinate-based neuroimaging meta-analysis method, seed-based d mapping (SDM), to assess the largest set of neuroimaging studies of AM retrieval to date. An important advantage of SDM over other methods is that it factors in the effect sizes of the activation coordinates from studies, yielding a more representative summary of activations. Studies were selected if they elicited AM retrieval in the scanner, contrasted AM retrieval with a matched control task, and used univariate whole-brain analyses, yielding a set of 50 papers with 963 participants and 891 foci. The findings confirmed the recruitment of many previously identified core AM retrieval regions including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus and parahippocampal cortex, retrosplenial cortex and posterior cingulate, and angular gyrus, and revealed additional regions, including bilateral inferior parietal lobule and greater activation extent through the PFC, including lateral PFC activation. Results were robust across different types of AM retrieval tasks (previously rehearsed cues vs. novel cues), and robust across different control tasks (visual/attention vs. semantic retrieval). To maximize the utility of the meta-analysis, all results image files are available online. In summary, the current meta-analysis provides an updated and more representative characterization of the neural correlates of autobiographical memory retrieval and how these neural correlates are affected by important experimental factors.

Changes in functional neuroimaging measures as novices gain proficiency on the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery suturing task.

As trainees practice fundamental surgical skills, they typically rely on performance measures such as time and errors, which are limited in their sensitivity. The goal of our study was to evaluate the use of portable neuroimaging measures to map the neural processes associated with learning basic surgical skills. Twenty-one subjects completed 15 sessions of training on the fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery (FLS) suture with intracorporeal knot-tying task in a box trainer. Functional near infrared spectroscopy data were recorded using an optode montage that covered the prefrontal and sensorimotor brain areas throughout the task. Average oxy-hemoglobin (HbO) changes were determined for repetitions performed during the first week of training compared with the third week of training. Statistical differences between the time periods were evaluated using a general linear model of the HbO changes. Average performance scores across task repetitions increased significantly from the first day to the last day of training ( ). During the first day of training, there was significant lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation. On the final day, significant activation was observed in the PFC, as well as the sensorimotor areas. When comparing the two periods, significant differences in activation ( ) were found for the right medial PFC and the right inferior parietal gyrus. While gaining proficiency, trainees activated the perception-action cycle to build a perceptual model and then apply the model to improve task execution. Learners engaged the sensorimotor areas more substantially as they developed skill on the FLS suturing task. These findings are consistent with findings for the FLS pattern cutting task and contribute to the development of objective metrics for skill evaluation.

Association of Changes in Neural Targets and Dietary Outcomes among Patients with Comorbid Obesity and Depression: Post hoc Analysis of ENGAGE-2 Mechanistic Clinical Trial

BackgroundDisruptions in brain circuits that regulate cognition and emotion can hinder dietary change and weight loss among individuals with obesity and depression. ObjectiveThe study aimed to investigate whether changes in brain targets in the cognitive control, negative affect, and positive affect circuits after 2-mo problem-solving therapy (PST) predict changes in dietary outcomes at 2 and 6 mo. MethodsAdults with obesity and depression from an academic health system were randomly assigned to receive PST (7-step problem-solving and behavioral activation strategies) over 2 mo or usual care. Seventy participants (mean age = 45.9 ± 11.6 y; 75.7% women, 55.7% Black, 17.1% Hispanic, 20.0% White; mean BMI = 36.5 ± 5.3 kg/m2; mean Patient Health Questionnaire-9 depression score = 12.7 ± 2.8) completed functional MRI and 24-h food recalls. Ordinary least square regression analyses were performed. ResultsAmong intervention participants, increased left dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dLPFC) activity of the cognitive control circuit at 2 mo was associated with increased diet quality (β: 0.20; 95% CI: −0.02, 0.42) and decreased calories (β: −0.19; 95% CI: −0.33, −0.04), fat levels (β: −0.22; 95% CI: −0.39, −0.06), and high-sugar food intake (β: −0.18; 95% CI: −0.37, 0.01) at 6 mo. For the negative affect circuit, increased right dLPFC–amygdala connectivity at 2 mo was associated with increased diet quality (β: 0.32; 95% CI: −0.93, 1.57) and fruit and vegetable intake (β: 0.38; 95% CI: −0.75, 1.50) and decreased calories (β: −0.37; 95% CI: −1.29, 0.54), fat levels (β: −0.37; 95% CI: −1.50, 0.76), sodium concentrations (β: −0.36; 95% CI: −1.32, 0.60), and alcohol intake (β: −0.71; 95% CI: −2.10, 0.68) at 2 but not at 6 mo. The usual care group showed opposing associations. The 95% CIs of all between-group differences did not overlap the null, suggesting a significant treatment effect. ConclusionsAmong adults with obesity and depression who underwent PST compared with those under usual care, improved dLPFC–amygdala regulation of negative affective brain states predicted dietary improvements at 2 mo, whereas improvements in dLPFC-based cognitive control predicted dietary improvements at 6 mo. These findings warrant confirmatory studies.This trial was at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03841682.

Sex differences in longitudinal changes of episodic memory-related brain activity and cognition in cognitively unimpaired older adults with a family history of Alzheimer’s disease

Episodic memory decline is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – a neurodegenerative disease that has a higher prevalence rate in older females compared to older males. However, little is known about why these sex differences in prevalence rate exist. In the current longitudinal task fMRI study, we explored whether there were sex differences in the patterns of memory decline and brain activity during object-location (spatial context) encoding and retrieval in a large sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults from the Pre-symptomatic Evaluation of Novel or Experimental Treatments for Alzheimer’s Disease (PREVENT-AD) program who are at heightened risk of developing AD due to having a family history (+FH) of the disease. The goal of the study was to gain insight into whether there are sex differences in the neural correlates of episodic memory decline, which may advance knowledge about sex-specific patterns in the natural progression to AD. Our results indicate that +FH females performed better than +FH males at both baseline and follow-up on neuropsychological and task fMRI measures of episodic memory. Moreover, multivariate data-driven task fMRI analysis identified generalized patterns of longitudinal decline in medial temporal lobe activity that was paralleled by longitudinal increases in lateral prefrontal cortex, caudate and midline cortical activity during successful episodic retrieval and novelty detection in +FH males, but not females. Post-hoc analyses indicated that higher education had a stronger effect on +FH females neuropsychological scores compared to +FH males. We conclude that higher educational attainment may have a greater neuroprotective effect in older +FH females compared to +FH males.

Lateral Prefrontal Cortex Activation Induced by Proficient Skills During Rhythm Action Game

The activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during rhythm action game was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy. Participants were classified into two groups (Skilled and Novice) based on their skill in the game, and three levels of difficulty of the game (easy, medium, and difficult) were imposed on the participants as experimental tasks. Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin in the PFC were measured using near-infrared spectroscopy, and the effect of playing the game on the activation/deactivation of the PFC was examined. Activation in the lateral PFC was observed in the Skilled group when participants played on the medium and difficult levels, whereas it was not observed in the Novice group when participants played on any level. Deactivation of the medial PFC was also observed in both groups. The observed activity of some regions of the PFC suggests differences in cerebral processes as a function of the rhythm action game.

Temporal structure of persistent activity in macaque lateral prefrontal cortex during a naturalistic working memory task

Temporal structure of persistent activity in macaque lateral prefrontal cortex during a naturalistic working memory task

Mechanisms of imbalanced frontostriatal functional connectivity in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) has been linked with changes in frontostriatal resting-state connectivity. However, replication of prior findings is lacking, and the mechanistic understanding of these effects is incomplete. To confirm and advance knowledge on changes in frontostriatal functional connectivity in OCD, participants with OCD and matched healthy controls underwent resting-state functional, structural and diffusion neuroimaging. Functional connectivity changes in frontostriatal systems were here replicated in individuals with OCD (n = 52) compared with controls (n = 45). OCD participants showed greater functional connectivity (t = 4.3, PFWE = 0.01) between the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) but lower functional connectivity between the dorsal putamen and lateral prefrontal cortex (t = 3.8, PFWE = 0.04) relative to controls. Computational modelling suggests that NAcc-OFC connectivity changes reflect an increased influence of NAcc over OFC activity and reduced OFC influence over NAcc activity (posterior probability, Pp > 0.66). Conversely, dorsal putamen showed reduced modulation over lateral prefrontal cortex activity (Pp > 0.90). These functional deregulations emerged on top of a generally intact anatomical substrate. We provide out-of-sample replication of opposite changes in ventro-anterior and dorso-posterior frontostriatal connectivity in OCD and advance the understanding of the neural underpinnings of these functional perturbations. These findings inform the development of targeted therapies normalizing frontostriatal dynamics in OCD.

The moderating effect of prefrontal response to sleep-related stimuli on the association between depression and sleep disturbance in insomnia disorder

We investigated differences in brain activity in response to sleep-related pictures between chronic insomnia disorder (CID) patients and good sleepers (GS), and examined whether brain activity moderated the relationship between depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance in CID patients and GS. This study included 43 patients diagnosed with CID, based on the International Classification of Sleep Disorders-3, and 42 GS. The participants kept a sleep diary, underwent nocturnal polysomnography to measure sleep parameters, and completed self-report questionnaires to assess sleep and psychiatric symptoms. They underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine differences in brain activity in response to sleep-related pictures compared to neutral pictures. A moderated moderation analysis was performed to investigate the moderating role of brain responses to sleep-related pictures in the association between depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance. Compared to GS, the brain responses to sleep-related stimuli were significantly lower in CID patients in the right lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC). More severe depressive symptoms were significantly associated with longer sleep latency only when LPFC activity was low in CID patients, but not in GS. LPFC hypoactivity in response to sleep-related stimuli in CID patients could moderate the relationship between depression and sleep disturbance.

Anxiety disrupts performance monitoring: integrating behavioral, event-related potential, EEG microstate, and sLORETA evidence.

Anxiety impacts performance monitoring, though theory and past research are split on how and for whom. However, past research has often examined either trait anxiety in isolation or task-dependent state anxiety and has indexed event-related potential components, such as the error-related negativity or post-error positivity (Pe), calculated at a single node during a limited window of time. We introduced 2 key novelties to this electroencephalography research to examine the link between anxiety and performance monitoring: (i) we manipulated antecedent, task-independent, state anxiety to better establish the causal effect; (ii) we conducted moderation analyses to determine how state and trait anxiety interact to impact performance monitoring processes. Additionally, we extended upon previous work by using a microstate analysis approach to isolate and sequence the neural networks and rapid mental processes in response to error commission. Results showed that state anxiety disrupts response accuracy in the Stroop task and error-related neural processes, primarily during a Pe-related microstate. Source localization shows that this disruption involves reduced activation in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and compensatory activation in the right lateral prefrontal cortex, particularly among people high in trait anxiety. We conclude that antecedent anxiety is largely disruptive to performance monitoring.

Delay of gratification dissociates cognitive control and valuation brain regions in healthy young adults

Delay of gratification (DofG) refers to an inter-temporal choice phenomenon that is of great interest in many domains, including animal learning, cognitive development, economic decision-making, and executive control. Yet experimental tools for investigating DofG in human adults are almost non-existent, and as a consequence, very little is known regarding the brain basis of core DofG behaviors. Here, we utilize a novel DofG paradigm, adapted for use in neuroimaging contexts, to examine event-related changes in neural activity as healthy young adult participants made repeated choices to continue waiting for a delayed reward, rather than take an immediately available one of lesser value. On DofG trials, choose-to-wait events were associated with increased activation in fronto-parietal and cingulo-opercular regions associated with cognitive control. Activity in the right lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) was also associated with individual variability in task performance and strategy. Fronto-parietal activity was clearly dissociable from that observed in ventromedial PFC, as this latter region exhibited a ramping-up pattern of activity during the waiting period prior to reward delivery. Ventromedial PFC ramping activity dynamics were further selective to DofG trials associated with increased future reward rate, consistent with the involvement of this region in subjective reward valuation that incorporates higher-order task structure. These results provide important initial validation of this experimental paradigm as a useful tool for investigating and isolating unique DofG neural mechanisms, which can now be utilized to study a wide-variety of populations and task factors.

Prefrontal modulation of frustration-related physiology in preschool children ranging from low to severe irritability

Limbic-prefrontal connectivity during negative emotional challenges underpins a wide range of psychiatric disorders, yet the early development of this system is largely unknown due to difficulties imaging young children. Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) has advanced an understanding of early emotion-related prefrontal activation and psychopathology, but cannot detect activation below the outer cortex. Galvanic skin response (GSR) is a sensitive index of autonomic arousal strongly influenced by numerous limbic structures. We recorded simultaneous lateral prefrontal cortex (lPFC) activation via fNIRS and GSR in 73 3- to 5-year-old children, who ranged from low to severe levels of irritability, during a frustration task. The goal of the study was to test how frustration-related PFC activation modulated psychophysiology in preschool children, and whether associations were moderated by irritability severity. Results showed lPFC activation significantly increased, and GSR levels significantly decreased, as children moved from frustration to rest, such that preschoolers with the highest activation had the steepest recovery. Further, this relation was moderated by irritability such that children with severe irritability showed no association between lPFC activation and GSR. Results suggest functional connections between prefrontal and autonomic nervous systems are in place early in life, with evidence of lPFC down-regulation of frustration-based stress that is altered in early psychopathology. Combining fNIRS and GSR may be a promising novel approach for inferring limbic-PFC processes that drive early emotion regulation and psychopathology.

Using fNIRS to Identify Transparency- and Reliability-Sensitive Markers of Trust Across Multiple Timescales in Collaborative Human-Human-Agent Triads.

Intelligent agents are rapidly evolving from assistants into teammates as they perform increasingly complex tasks. Successful human-agent teams leverage the computational power and sensory capabilities of automated agents while keeping the human operator's expectation consistent with the agent's ability. This helps prevent over-reliance on and under-utilization of the agent to optimize its effectiveness. Research at the intersection of human-computer interaction, social psychology, and neuroergonomics has identified trust as a governing factor of human-agent interactions that can be modulated to maintain an appropriate expectation. To achieve this calibration, trust can be monitored continuously and unobtrusively using neurophysiological sensors. While prior studies have demonstrated the potential of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a lightweight neuroimaging technology, in the prediction of social, cognitive, and affective states, few have successfully used it to measure complex social constructs like trust in artificial agents. Even fewer studies have examined the dynamics of hybrid teams of more than 1 human or 1 agent. We address this gap by developing a highly collaborative task that requires knowledge sharing within teams of 2 humans and 1 agent. Using brain data obtained with fNIRS sensors, we aim to identify brain regions sensitive to changes in agent behavior on a long- and short-term scale. We manipulated agent reliability and transparency while measuring trust, mental demand, team processes, and affect. Transparency and reliability levels are found to significantly affect trust in the agent, while transparency explanations do not impact mental demand. Reducing agent communication is shown to disrupt interpersonal trust and team cohesion, suggesting similar dynamics as human-human teams. Contrasts of General Linear Model analyses identify dorsal medial prefrontal cortex activation specific to assessing the agent's transparency explanations and characterize increases in mental demand as signaled by dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex and frontopolar activation. Short scale event-level data is analyzed to show that predicting whether an individual will trust the agent, with data from 15 s before their decision, is feasible with fNIRS data. Discussing our results, we identify targets and directions for future neuroergonomics research as a step toward building an intelligent trust-modulation system to optimize human-agent collaborations in real time.

Static and treatment-responsive brain biomarkers of depression relapse vulnerability following prophylactic psychotherapy: Evidence from a randomized control trial

BackgroundNeural reactivity to dysphoric mood induction indexes the tendency for distress to promote cognitive reactivity and sensory avoidance. Linking these responses to illness prognosis following recovery from Major Depressive Disorder informs our understanding of depression vulnerability and provides engagement targets for prophylactic interventions. MethodsA prospective fMRI neuroimaging design investigated the relationship between dysphoric reactivity and relapse following prophylactic intervention. Remitted depressed outpatients (N = 85) were randomized to 8 weeks of Cognitive Therapy with a Well-Being focus or Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy. Participants were assessed before and after therapy and followed for 2 years to assess relapse status. Neural reactivity common to both assessment points identified static biomarkers of relapse, whereas reactivity change identified dynamic biomarkers. ResultsDysphoric mood induction evoked prefrontal activation and sensory deactivation. Controlling for past episodes, concurrent symptoms and medication status, somatosensory deactivation was associated with depression recurrence in a static pattern that was unaffected by prophylactic treatment, HR 0.04, 95% CI [0.01, 0.14], p < .001. Treatment-related prophylaxis was linked to reduced activation of the left lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), HR 3.73, 95% CI [1.33, 10.46], p = .013. Contralaterally, the right LPFC showed dysphoria-evoked inhibitory connectivity with the right somatosensory biomarker ConclusionsThese findings support a two-factor model of depression relapse vulnerability, in which: enduring patterns of dysphoria-evoked sensory deactivation contribute to episode return, but vulnerability may be mitigated by targeting prefrontal regions responsive to clinical intervention. Emotion regulation during illness remission may be enhanced by reducing prefrontal cognitive processes in favor of sensory representation and integration.

Is the prefrontal cortex organized by supramodal or modality-specific sensory demands during adolescence?

Attention is inherently biased towards the visual modality during most multisensory scenarios in adults, but the developmental trajectory towards visual dominance has not been fully elucidated. More recent evidence in primates and adult humans suggests a modality-specific stratification of the prefrontal cortex. The current study therefore used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neuronal correlates of proactive (following cues) and reactive (following probes) cognitive control for simultaneous audio-visual stimulation in 67 healthy adolescents (13–18 years old). Behavioral results were only partially supportive of visual dominance in adolescents, with both reduced response times and accuracy during attend-visual relative to attend-auditory trials. Differential activation of medial and lateral prefrontal cortex for processing incongruent relative to congruent stimuli (reactive control) was also only observed during attend-visual trials. There was no evidence of modality-specific prefrontal cortex stratification during the active processing of multisensory stimuli or during separate functional connectivity analyses. Attention-related modulations were also greater within visual relative to auditory cortex, but were less robust than observed in previous adult studies. Collectively, current results suggest a continued transition towards visual dominance in adolescence, as well as limited modality-specific specialization of prefrontal cortex and attentional modulations of unisensory cortex.

Life stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms: The moderating role of prefrontal activation during emotion regulation.

Evidence suggests that emotion regulation difficulty may play an important role in the association between life stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. We proposed two models depicting the possible moderating roles of prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation in the associations among these variables and tested them. We hypothesized that (1) the association between stress and sleep disturbance would differ across prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation (moderation model) and (2) the indirect effects of stress on depressive symptoms through sleep disturbance would depend on prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation (moderated mediation model). Forty-eight healthy adults without sleep disorders based on nocturnal polysomnography participated in this study. They received functional magnetic resonance imaging scans while performing an emotion regulation task. They also completed questionnaires assessing life stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. The proposed models were tested using the PROCESS macro for SPSS. As hypothesized, there was a significant moderating effect of prefrontal cortex activation during emotion regulation on the association between life stress and sleep disturbance. Furthermore, right lateral prefrontal cortex activation had a moderating role in the indirect effect of life stress on depressive symptoms through sleep disturbance. These findings highlight the important role of prefrontal cortex function during emotion regulation in the associations between stress, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. Increasing lateral prefrontal cortex recruitment when regulating the emotional response to negative life events may be critical for the prevention and intervention of depression as well as sleep problems.

Prefrontal activation and pupil dilation during n-back task performance: A combined fNIRS and pupillometry study

The n-back task is one of the most commonly used working memory (WM) paradigms in cognitive neuroscience. Converging evidence suggests activation in the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) and pupil dilation [a proxy for locus coeruleus (LC) activation] during this task. However, it remains unclear whether the lateral PFC and the LC are functionally associated during n-back task performance. This study's aim was to examine the relationship between changes in lateral PFC activity and the pupil diameter and to evaluate the effect of WM load on such relationship during the n-back task. Thirty-nine healthy young adults (10 males, 29 females) underwent a number n-back paradigm with 0- and 3-back conditions. Their prefrontal hemodynamics and changes in pupil size during task performance were simultaneously measured using a 16-channel functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) device and a wearable eye tracker. Young adults exhibited significant activation in the bilateral lateral PFC and significant increases in pupil size when the WM load was high (i.e., 3-back) but not low (i.e., 0-back) compared with the resting period. Interestingly, significant positive correlations were found between changes in lateral PFC activity and pupil size during the 0-back task only. These correlations tended to be stronger during the 0-back than the 3-back condition. Thus, the functional relationship between the lateral PFC and the LC may vary at different load levels during the n-back task. Our findings have important implications for neuropsychiatric research and support concurrent fNIRS and pupillometric measurements for a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying WM processing.

Revisiting the Neural Architecture of Adolescent Decision-Making: Univariate and Multivariate Evidence for System-Based Models.

Understanding adolescent decision-making is significant for informing basic models of neurodevelopment as well as for the domains of public health and criminal justice. System-based theories posit that adolescent decision-making is guided by activity related to reward and control processes. While successful at explaining behavior, system-based theories have received inconsistent support at the neural level, perhaps because of methodological limitations. Here, we used two complementary approaches to overcome said limitations and rigorously evaluate system-based models. Using decision-level modeling of fMRI data from a risk-taking task in a sample of 2000+ decisions across 51 human adolescents (25 females, mean age = 15.00 years), we find support for system-based theories of decision-making. Neural activity in lateral PFC and a multivariate pattern of cognitive control both predicted a reduced likelihood of risk-taking, whereas increased activity in the NAcc predicted a greater likelihood of risk-taking. Interactions between decision-level brain activity and age were not observed. These results garner support for system-based accounts of adolescent decision-making behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Adolescent decision-making behavior is of great import for basic science, and carries equally consequential implications for public health and criminal justice. While dominant psychological theories seeking to explain adolescent decision-making have found empirical support, their neuroscientific implementations have received inconsistent support. This may be partly because of statistical approaches used by prior neuroimaging studies of system-based theories. We used brain modeling, an approach that predicts behavior from brain activity, of univariate and multivariate neural activity metrics to better understand how neural components of psychological systems guide decision behavior in adolescents. We found broad support for system-based theories such that neural systems involved in cognitive control predicted a reduced likelihood to make risky decisions, whereas value-based systems predicted greater risk-taking propensity.

Identifying the neural dynamics of category decisions with computational model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Successful categorization requires a careful coordination of attention, representation, and decision making. Comprehensive theories that span levels of analysis are key to understanding the computational and neural dynamics of categorization. Here, we build on recent work linking neural representations of category learning to computational models to investigate how category decision making is driven by neural signals across the brain. We uniquely combine functional magnetic resonance imaging with drift diffusion and exemplar-based categorization models to show that trial-by-trial fluctuations in neural activation from regions of occipital, cingulate, and lateral prefrontal cortices are linked to category decisions. Notably, only lateral prefrontal cortex activation was associated with exemplar-based model predictions of trial-by-trial category evidence. We propose that these brain regions underlie distinct functions that contribute to successful category learning.