1
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Fan C, Chen X, Sun J, Luo W. The perceived controllability of negatively-valenced episodic future thinking modulates delay discounting. Cogn Emot 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38953160 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2370463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Intertemporal decision-making is important for both economy and physical health. Nevertheless, in daily life, individuals tend to prefer immediate and smaller rewards to delayed and larger rewards, which is known as delay discounting (DD). Episodic future thinking (EFT) has been proven to influence DD. However, there is still no inconsistent conclusion on the effect of negative EFT on DD. Considering the perceived controllability of negative EFT may address the issue (Controllability refers to the extent to which progress and result of an event could be controlled by ourselves). In the current study, we manipulated EFT conditions (baseline, neutral EFT, negative-controllable EFT and negative-uncontrollable EFT), delayed time (i.e. 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year and 3 years) and reward magnitude (small, large). We mainly found that when experiencing negative-uncontrollable EFT compared to negative-controllable EFT in the delayed time of 6 months with large rewards, individuals chose more delayed rewards, suggesting that negative-uncontrollable EFT effectively reduced DD under conditions of both large-magnitude reward and longer delayed time. The current study provides new insight for healthy groups on optimising EFT. In that case, individuals are able to gain long-term benefits in financial management and healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Fan
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Province, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiwen Chen
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Province, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayi Sun
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Province, Dalian, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenbo Luo
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Province, Dalian, People's Republic of China
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2
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Mitchnick KA, Marlatte H, Belchev Z, Gao F, Rosenbaum RS. Differential contributions of the hippocampal dentate gyrus and CA1 subfield to mnemonic discrimination. Hippocampus 2024; 34:278-283. [PMID: 38501294 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that individual hippocampal subfields are preferentially involved in various memory-related processes. Here, we demonstrated dissociations in these memory processes in two unique individuals with near-selective bilateral damage within the hippocampus, affecting the dentate gyrus (DG) in case BL and the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) subfield in case BR. BL was impaired in discriminating highly similar objects in memory (i.e., mnemonic discrimination) but exhibited preserved overall recognition of studied objects, regardless of similarity. Conversely, BR demonstrated impaired general recognition. These results provide evidence for the DG in discrimination processes, likely related to underlying pattern separation computations, and the CA1 in retention/retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krista A Mitchnick
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Hannah Marlatte
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zorry Belchev
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fuqiang Gao
- Cognitive Neurology Research Group, Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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3
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Aashat S, D'Angelo MC, Rosenbaum RS, Ryan JD. Effects of extended practice and unitization on relational memory in older adults and neuropsychological lesion cases. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2024:1-36. [PMID: 38415694 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2024.2319892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Unitization - the fusion of objects into a single unit through an action/consequence sequence - can mitigate relational memory impairments, but the circumstances under which unitization is effective are unclear. Using transverse patterning (TP), we compared unitization (and its component processes of fusion, motion, and action/consequence) with extended practice on relational learning and transfer in older adults and neuropsychological cases with lesions (to varying extents) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) or hippocampus/medial temporal lobe (HC/MTL). The latter included a person with bilateral HC lesions primarily within the dentate gyrus. For older adults, TP accuracy increased, and transfer benefits were observed, with extended practice and unitization. Broadly, the lesion cases did not benefit from either extended practice or unitization, suggesting the mPFC and dentate gyrus play important roles in relational memory and in unitization. The results suggest that personalized strategy interventions must align with the cognitive and neural profiles of the user.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supreet Aashat
- The Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Maria C D'Angelo
- The Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Canada
| | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- The Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jennifer D Ryan
- The Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, Toronto, Canada
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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4
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Lockrow AW, Setton R, Spreng KAP, Sheldon S, Turner GR, Spreng RN. Taking stock of the past: A psychometric evaluation of the Autobiographical Interview. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:1002-1038. [PMID: 36944860 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02080-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Autobiographical memory (AM) involves a rich phenomenological re-experiencing of a spatio-temporal event from the past, which is challenging to objectively quantify. The Autobiographical Interview (AI; Levine et al. Psychology and Aging, 17(4), 677-689, 2002) is a manualized performance-based assessment designed to quantify episodic (internal) and semantic (external) features of recalled and verbally conveyed prior experiences. The AI has been widely adopted, yet has not undergone a comprehensive psychometric validation. We investigated the reliability, validity, association to individual differences measures, and factor structure in healthy younger and older adults (N = 352). Evidence for the AI's reliability was strong: the subjective scoring protocol showed high inter-rater reliability and previously identified age effects were replicated. Internal consistency across timepoints was robust, suggesting stability in recollection. Central to our validation, internal AI scores were positively correlated with standard, performance-based measures of episodic memory, demonstrating convergent validity. The two-factor structure for the AI was not well supported by confirmatory factor analysis. Adjusting internal and external detail scores for the number of words spoken (detail density) improved trait estimation of AM performance. Overall, the AI demonstrated sound psychometric properties for inquiry into the qualities of autobiographical remembering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber W Lockrow
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Roni Setton
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | | | - Signy Sheldon
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Gary R Turner
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - R Nathan Spreng
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montréal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada.
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5
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Marlatte H, Belchev Z, Fraser M, Gilboa A. The effect of hippocampal subfield damage on rapid temporal integration through statistical learning and associative inference. Neuropsychologia 2024; 193:108755. [PMID: 38092332 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The hippocampus (HPC) supports integration of information across time, often indexed by associative inference (AI) and statistical learning (SL) tasks. In AI, an indirect association between stimuli that never appeared together is inferred, whereas SL involves learning item relationships by extracting regularities across experiences. A recent model of hippocampal function (Schapiro et al., 2017) proposes that the HPC can support temporal integration in both paradigms through its two distinct pathways. METHODS We tested this models' predictions in four patients with varying degrees of bilateral HPC damage and matched healthy controls, with two patients with complementary damage to either the monosynaptic or trisynaptic pathway. During AI, participants studied overlapping paired associates (AB, BC) and their memory was tested for premise pairs (AB) and for inferred pairs (AC). During SL, participants passively viewed a continuous picture sequence that contained an underlying structure of triplets that later had to be recognized. RESULTS Binomial distributions were used to calculate above chance performance at the individual level. For AI, patients with focal HPC damage were impaired at inference but could correctly infer pairs above chance once premise pair acquisition was equated to controls; however, the patient with HPC and cortical damage showed severe impairment at recalling premise and inferred pairs, regardless of accounting for premise pair performance. For SL, none of the patients performed above chance, but notably neither did most controls. CONCLUSIONS Associative inference of indirect relationships can be intact with HPC damage to either hippocampal pathways or the HPC more broadly, provided premise pairs can first be formed. Inference may remain intact through residual HPC tissue supporting premise pair acquisition, and/or through extra-hippocampal structures supporting inference at retrieval. Clear conclusions about hippocampal contributions to SL are precluded by low performance in controls, which we caution is not dissimilar to previous amnesic studies using the same task. This complicates interpretations of studies claiming necessity of hippocampal contributions to SL and warrants the use of a common and reliable task before conclusions can be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Marlatte
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Psychology, 100 St George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
| | - Zorry Belchev
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Madison Fraser
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Asaf Gilboa
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada; University of Toronto, Department of Psychology, 100 St George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada
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6
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Chang CH, Zehra S, Nestor A, Lee ACH. Using image reconstruction to investigate face perception in amnesia. Neuropsychologia 2023; 185:108573. [PMID: 37119985 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Damage to the medial temporal lobe (MTL), which is traditionally considered to subserve memory exclusively, has been reported to contribute to impaired face perception. However, it remains unknown how exactly such brain lesions may impact face representations and in particular facial shape and surface information, both of which are crucial for face perception. The present study employed a behavioral-based image reconstruction approach to reveal the pictorial representations of face perception in two amnesic patients: DA, who has an extensive bilateral MTL lesion that extends beyond the MTL in the right hemisphere, and BL, who has damage to the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG). Both patients and their respective matched controls completed similarity judgments for pairs of faces, from which facial shape and surface features were subsequently derived and synthesized to create images of reconstructed facial appearance. Participants also completed a face oddity judgment task (FOJT) that has previously been shown to be sensitive to MTL cortical damage. While BL exhibited an impaired pattern of performance on the FOJT, DA demonstrated intact performance accuracy. Notably, the recovered pictorial content of faces was comparable between both patients and controls, although there was evidence for atypical face representations in BL particularly with regards to color. Our work provides novel insight into the face representations underlying face perception in two well-studied amnesic patients in the literature and demonstrates the applicability of the image reconstruction approach to individuals with brain damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chi-Hsun Chang
- Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sukhan Zehra
- Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Adrian Nestor
- Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andy C H Lee
- Department of Psychology (Scarborough), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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7
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Rosenbaum RS, Halilova JG, Kwan D, Beneventi S, Craver CF, Gilboa A, Ciaramelli E. Temporal Construal Effects Are Independent of Episodic Future Thought. Psychol Sci 2023; 34:75-86. [PMID: 36287189 DOI: 10.1177/09567976221120001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Human thought is prone to biases. Some biases serve as beneficial heuristics to free up limited cognitive resources or improve well-being, but their neurocognitive basis is unclear. One such bias is a tendency to construe events in the distant future in abstract, general terms and events in the near future in concrete, detailed terms. Temporal construal may rely on our capacity to orient toward and/or imagine context-rich future events. We tested 21 individuals with impaired episodic future thinking resulting from lesions to the hippocampus or ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and 57 control participants (aged 45-76 years) from Canada and Italy on measures sensitive to temporal construal. We found that temporal construal persisted in most patients, even those with impaired episodic future thinking, but was abolished in some vmPFC cases, possibly in relation to difficulties forming and maintaining future intentions. The results confirm the fractionation of future thinking and that parts of vmPFC might critically support our ability to flexibly conceive and orient ourselves toward future events.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, York University.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
| | - J G Halilova
- Department of Psychology, York University.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
| | - D Kwan
- Department of Psychology, York University.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
| | - S Beneventi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna
| | - C F Craver
- Department of Philosophy, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - A Gilboa
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
| | - E Ciaramelli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna.,Centro Studi e Ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna
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8
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Guo Y, Wu H, Li Z, Zhao L, Feng T. Episodic future thinking predicts differences in delay discounting: The mediating role of hippocampal structure. Front Psychol 2022; 13:992245. [PMID: 36312178 PMCID: PMC9596978 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.992245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that engagement in episodic future thinking (EFT) could reduce delay discounting rates. However, little is known about whether individual differences in the ability of EFT are associated with differences in delay discounting in young adults. In the present study, this association was tested in healthy college students (n = 106, 19.98 ± 1.56 years), and the neural basis underlying this association was also examined using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) method. Behavioral analysis indicated that individual differences in EFT ability can significantly negatively predict discounting rates. VBM analysis first revealed that the EFT score positively correlated with gray matter volume (GMV) of a cluster in hippocampus, while negatively correlated with GMV of a cluster in rostral anterior cingulate cortex. We also found the GMV of a cluster in the mPFC was positively correlated with delay discounting. ROI analysis further revealed that individual differences in delay discounting could be reliably predicted by the GMV in the hippocampus and mPFC. The final mediation analysis showed that the GMV of the hippocampus plays a significant mediating role in the association between EFT and delay discounting, and the indirect effect of the hippocampal GMV accounts for 33.2% of the total effect. Our results suggest that individuals’ EFT ability may be an important determinant of differences in delay discounting, and highlight the hippocampal structure as a neural biomarker for explaining the association between EFT ability and delay discounting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiqun Guo
- School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Education, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
- School of Bioinformatics, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Yiqun Guo, ; Tingyong Feng,
| | - Huimin Wu
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhangyong Li
- School of Bioinformatics, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Le Zhao
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Yiqun Guo, ; Tingyong Feng,
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9
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Mitchnick KA, Ahmad Z, Mitchnick SD, Ryan JD, Rosenbaum RS, Freud E. Damage to the human dentate gyrus impairs the perceptual discrimination of complex, novel objects. Neuropsychologia 2022; 172:108238. [PMID: 35513066 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus (HPC), and the dentate gyrus (DG) subregion in particular, is purported to be a pattern separator, orthogonally representing similar information so that distinct memories may be formed. The HPC may also be involved in complex perceptual discrimination. It is unclear if this role is limited to spatial/scene stimuli or extends to the discrimination of objects. Also unclear is whether the DG itself contributes to pattern separation beyond memory. BL, an individual with bilateral DG lesions, was previously shown to have poor discrimination of similar, everyday objects in memory. Here, we demonstrate that BL's deficit extends to complex perceptual discrimination of novel objects. Specifically, BL was presented with closely matched possible and impossible objects, which give rise to fundamentally different 3D perceptual representations despite being visually similar. BL performed significantly worse than controls when asked to select an odd object (e.g., impossible) amongst three identical counterpart objects (e.g., possible) presented at different rotations. His deficit was also evident in an atypical eye fixation pattern during this task. In contrast, BL's performance was indistinguishable from that of controls on other tasks involving the same objects, indicating that he could visually differentiate the object pairs, that he perceived the objects holistically in 3D, and that he has only a mild weakness in categorizing object possibility. Furthermore, his performance on standardized neuropsychological measures indicated intact mental rotation, visual-spatial attention, and working memory (visual and auditory). Collectively, these results provide evidence that the DG is necessary for complex perceptual discrimination of novel objects, indicating that the DG might function as a generic pattern separator of a wide range of stimuli within high-level perception, and that its role is not limited to memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Mitchnick
- York University, Toronto, Canada; Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Z Ahmad
- York University, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - J D Ryan
- Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - R S Rosenbaum
- York University, Toronto, Canada; Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
| | - E Freud
- York University, Toronto, Canada.
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10
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Kinley I, Amlung M, Becker S. Pathologies of precision: A Bayesian account of goals, habits, and episodic foresight in addiction. Brain Cogn 2022; 158:105843. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2022.105843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 01/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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11
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Liu L, Bulley A, Irish M. Subjective Time in Dementia: A Critical Review. Brain Sci 2021; 11:1502. [PMID: 34827501 PMCID: PMC8616021 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity for subjective time in humans encompasses the perception of time's unfolding from moment to moment, as well as the ability to traverse larger temporal expanses of past- and future-oriented thought via mental time travel. Disruption in time perception can result in maladaptive outcomes-from the innocuous lapse in timing that leads to a burnt piece of toast, to the grievous miscalculation that produces a traffic accident-while disruption to mental time travel can impact core functions from planning appointments to making long-term decisions. Mounting evidence suggests that disturbances to both time perception and mental time travel are prominent in dementia syndromes. Given that such disruptions can have severe consequences for independent functioning in everyday life, here we aim to provide a comprehensive exposition of subjective timing dysfunction in dementia, with a view to informing the management of such disturbances. We consider the neurocognitive mechanisms underpinning changes to both time perception and mental time travel across different dementia disorders. Moreover, we explicate the functional implications of altered subjective timing by reference to two key and representative adaptive capacities: prospective memory and intertemporal decision-making. Overall, our review sheds light on the transdiagnostic implications of subjective timing disturbances in dementia and highlights the high variability in performance across clinical syndromes and functional domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Liu
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (L.L.); (A.B.)
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
| | - Adam Bulley
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (L.L.); (A.B.)
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02138, USA
| | - Muireann Irish
- School of Psychology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia; (L.L.); (A.B.)
- Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2050, Australia
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12
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Burns P, Atance C, O'Connor AP, McCormack T. The effects of cueing episodic future thinking on delay discounting in children, adolescents, and adults. Cognition 2021; 218:104934. [PMID: 34749044 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2021.104934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Discounting the value of delayed rewards such that even a relatively small, immediately available reward is preferred to a larger delayed reward is a commonly observed human trait. Children are particularly steep discounters of delayed rewards as evidenced by delay of gratification studies. In recent years, however, a growing literature indicates that cueing individuals to imagine personal future events attenuates their discounting of delayed rewards. The present studies extend this literature by examining whether cueing future thinking promotes patient choices in children and adolescents. In Experiment 1 we found that cueing future thinking had no effect on 8-11-year-olds' (n = 177) delay discounting of either real or hypothetical rewards. In Experiment 2 we found that cueing adolescents (12-14-year-olds, n = 126) and adults (n = 122) to think about personal future events decreased their discounting of delayed rewards relative to three other conditions: a no cue control, an episodic memory condition and a novel 'future other' condition in which individuals imagine future events that might happen to a significant other person in their life. Cueing adults and adolescents to think about personal future events did not however affect how connected they felt to their future selves or their subjective sense of how close future time points felt to them - two constructs that have previously been shown to be related to delay discounting.
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13
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Ciaramelli E, De Luca F, Kwan D, Mok J, Bianconi F, Knyagnytska V, Craver C, Green L, Myerson J, Rosenbaum RS. The role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex in reward valuation and future thinking during intertemporal choice. eLife 2021; 10:67387. [PMID: 34342577 PMCID: PMC8331177 DOI: 10.7554/elife.67387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intertemporal choices require trade-offs between short-term and long-term outcomes. Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) damage causes steep discounting of future rewards (delay discounting [DD]) and impoverished episodic future thinking (EFT). The role of vmPFC in reward valuation, EFT, and their interaction during intertemporal choice is still unclear. Here, 12 patients with lesions to vmPFC and 41 healthy controls chose between smaller-immediate and larger-delayed hypothetical monetary rewards while we manipulated reward magnitude and the availability of EFT cues. In the EFT condition, participants imagined personal events to occur at the delays associated with the larger-delayed rewards. We found that DD was steeper in vmPFC patients compared to controls, and not modulated by reward magnitude. However, EFT cues downregulated DD in vmPFC patients as well as controls. These findings indicate that vmPFC integrity is critical for the valuation of (future) rewards, but not to instill EFT in intertemporal choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ciaramelli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Flavia De Luca
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Donna Kwan
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jenkin Mok
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Francesca Bianconi
- Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Violetta Knyagnytska
- Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Università di Bologna, Cesena, Italy.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Carl Craver
- Department of Philosophy, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Leonard Green
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - Joel Myerson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University, St. Louis, United States
| | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada.,Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
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14
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Mok JNY, Green L, Myerson J, Kwan D, Kurczek J, Ciaramelli E, Craver CF, Rosenbaum SR. Does Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Damage Really Increase Impulsiveness? Delay and Probability Discounting in Patients with Focal Lesions. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:1-19. [PMID: 34232999 PMCID: PMC8924794 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
If the tendency to discount rewards reflects individuals' general level of impulsiveness, then the discounting of delayed and probabilistic rewards should be negatively correlated: The less a person is able to wait for delayed rewards, the more they should take chances on receiving probabilistic rewards. It has been suggested that damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) increases individuals' impulsiveness, but both intertemporal choice and risky choice have only recently been assayed in the same patients with vMPFC damage. Here, we assess both delay and probability discounting in individuals with vMPFC damage (n = 8) or with medial temporal lobe (MTL) damage (n = 10), and in age- and education-matched controls (n = 30). On average, MTL-lesioned individuals discounted delayed rewards at normal rates but discounted probabilistic rewards more shallowly than controls. In contrast, vMPFC-lesioned individuals discounted delayed rewards more steeply but probabilistic rewards more shallowly than controls. These results suggest that vMPFC lesions affect the weighting of reward amount relative to delay and certainty in opposite ways. Moreover, whereas MTL-lesioned individuals and controls showed typical, nonsignificant correlations between the discounting of delayed and probabilistic rewards, vMPFC-lesioned individuals showed a significant negative correlation, as would be expected if vMPFC damage increases impulsiveness more in some patients than in others. Although these results are consistent with the hypothesis that vMPFC plays a role in impulsiveness, it is unclear how they could be explained by a single mechanism governing valuation of both delayed and probabilistic rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Donna Kwan
- York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Shayna R Rosenbaum
- York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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15
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What Are Memories For? The Hippocampus Bridges Past Experience with Future Decisions. Trends Cogn Sci 2020; 24:542-556. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2020.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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16
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Mok JNY, Kwan D, Green L, Myerson J, Craver CF, Rosenbaum RS. Is it time? Episodic imagining and the discounting of delayed and probabilistic rewards in young and older adults. Cognition 2020; 199:104222. [PMID: 32092551 PMCID: PMC7152567 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Remembering and imagining specific, personal experiences can help shape our decisions. For example, cues to imagine future events can reduce delay discounting (i.e., increase the subjective value of future rewards). It is not known, however, whether such cues can also modulate other forms of reward discounting, such as probability discounting (i.e., the decrease in the subjective value of a possible reward as the odds against its occurrence increase). In addition, it is unclear whether there are age-related differences in the effects of cueing on either delay or probability discounting. Accordingly, young and older adult participants were administered delay and probability discounting tasks both with and without cues to imagine specific, personally meaningful events. As expected, cued episodic imagining decreased the discounting of delayed rewards. Notably, however, this effect was significantly less pronounced in older adults. In contrast to the effects of cueing on delay discounting, personally relevant event cues had little or no effect on the discounting of probabilistic rewards in either young or older adults; Bayesian analysis revealed compelling support for the null hypothesis that event cues do not modulate the subjective value of probabilistic rewards. In sum, imagining future events appears only to affect decisions involving delayed rewards. Although the cueing effect is smaller in older adults, nevertheless, it likely contributes to how adults of all ages evaluate delayed rewards and thus, it is, in fact, about time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenkin N Y Mok
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Donna Kwan
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Leonard Green
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Joel Myerson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Carl F Craver
- Department of Philosophy, Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Program, Washington University in St. Louis
| | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Miller TD, Chong TTJ, Aimola Davies AM, Johnson MR, Irani SR, Husain M, Ng TWC, Jacob S, Maddison P, Kennard C, Gowland PA, Rosenthal CR. Human hippocampal CA3 damage disrupts both recent and remote episodic memories. eLife 2020; 9:e41836. [PMID: 31976861 PMCID: PMC6980860 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Neocortical-hippocampal interactions support new episodic (event) memories, but there is conflicting evidence about the dependence of remote episodic memories on the hippocampus. In line with systems consolidation and computational theories of episodic memory, evidence from model organisms suggests that the cornu ammonis 3 (CA3) hippocampal subfield supports recent, but not remote, episodic retrieval. In this study, we demonstrated that recent and remote memories were susceptible to a loss of episodic detail in human participants with focal bilateral damage to CA3. Graph theoretic analyses of 7.0-Tesla resting-state fMRI data revealed that CA3 damage disrupted functional integration across the medial temporal lobe (MTL) subsystem of the default network. The loss of functional integration in MTL subsystem regions was predictive of autobiographical episodic retrieval performance. We conclude that human CA3 is necessary for the retrieval of episodic memories long after their initial acquisition and functional integration of the default network is important for autobiographical episodic memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas D Miller
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of NeurologyRoyal Free HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Trevor T-J Chong
- Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical NeurosciencesMonash UniversityClaytonAustralia
| | - Anne M Aimola Davies
- Department of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Research School of PsychologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Michael R Johnson
- Division of Brain SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Sarosh R Irani
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Masud Husain
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
- Department of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Tammy WC Ng
- Department of AnaesthesticsRoyal Free HospitalLondonUnited Kingdom
| | - Saiju Jacob
- Neurology Department, Queen Elizabeth Neuroscience CentreUniversity Hospitals of BirminghamBirminghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Paul Maddison
- Neurology DepartmentQueen’s Medical CentreNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Christopher Kennard
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Penny A Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Magnetic Resonance Centre, School of Physics and AstronomyUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Clive R Rosenthal
- Nuffield Department of Clinical NeurosciencesUniversity of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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18
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Gao AF, Keith JL, Gao FQ, Black SE, Moscovitch M, Rosenbaum RS. Neuropathology of a remarkable case of memory impairment informs human memory. Neuropsychologia 2020; 140:107342. [PMID: 31972232 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 01/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Kent Cochrane (K.C.) has been investigated by researchers for nearly three decades after intracranial trauma from a motorcycle accident at age 30 resulted in a striking profile of amnesia. K.C. suffered severe anterograde amnesia in both verbal and non-verbal domains which was accompanied by selective retrograde amnesia for personal events experienced prior to the time of his injury (episodic memory), with relative preservation of memory for personal and world facts (semantic memory), and of implicit memory. This pattern of spared and impaired memory extended to spatial memory for large-scale environments and beyond memory to future imagining and decision-making. Post-mortem brain findings at age 62 included moderate diffuse atrophy, left orbitofrontal contusion, left posterior cerebral artery infarct, and left anterior frontal watershed infarct. Notably, there was severe neuronal loss and gliosis of the hippocampi bilaterally. The left hippocampus was severely affected anteriorly and posteriorly, but CA2, CA4, and the dentate gyrus (DG) were focally spared. There was associated degeneration of the left fornix. The right hippocampus showed near complete destruction anteriorly, with relative preservation posteriorly, mainly of CA4 and DG. Bilateral parahippocampal gyri and left anterior thalamus also showed neuron loss and gliosis. There was no evidence of co-existing neurodegenerative phenomena on beta-amyloid, phosphorylated tau, or TDP-43 immunostaining. The extent of damage to medial temporal lobe structures is in keeping with K.C.'s profound anterograde and retrograde amnesia, with the exception of the unexpected finding of preserved CA2/CA4 and DG. K.C.'s case demonstrates that relatively clean functional dissociations are still possible following widespread brain damage, with structurally compromised brain regions unlikely to be critical to cognitive functions found to be intact. In this way, the findings presented here add to K.C.'s significant contributions to our understanding of clinical-anatomical relationships in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Gao
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Julia L Keith
- Department of Anatomic Pathology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fu-Qiang Gao
- L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Group, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sandra E Black
- L.C. Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Group, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Morris Moscovitch
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - R Shayna Rosenbaum
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychology and Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) Program, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Ciaramelli E, Sellitto M, Tosarelli G, di Pellegrino G. Imagining Events Alternative to the Present Can Attenuate Delay Discounting. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:269. [PMID: 31920579 PMCID: PMC6923661 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that delay discounting (DD), the tendency to prefer smaller-immediate to larger-delayed rewards, decreases following vivid imagination of future events. Here, we test the hypothesis that imagining complex events alternative to direct (perceptual) experience, whether located in the future, the past, or even the present, would reduce DD. Participants (N = 250) imagined future events (Future condition), remembered past events (Past condition), imagined present events (Present-imagine condition), or reported on the current events (Present-attend condition), and then made a series of intertemporal choices about money and food. Compared to attending to the present, imagining the future reduced DD, but this only held for individuals who claimed vivid pre-experiencing of future events. Importantly, a similar attenuation of DD was found in the Past and Present-imagine conditions, suggesting that a shift in perspective from the perceptual present towards mentally constructed experience can downplay the appraisal of immediate rewards in favor of larger-delayed rewards, regardless of the location of the imagined experience in subjective time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ciaramelli
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- The Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Manuela Sellitto
- Department of Comparative Psychology, Institute of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Giulia Tosarelli
- The Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe di Pellegrino
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- The Centre for Studies and Research in Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Bologna, Cesena, Italy
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20
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Scholten H, Scheres A, de Water E, Graf U, Granic I, Luijten M. Behavioral trainings and manipulations to reduce delay discounting: A systematic review. Psychon Bull Rev 2019; 26:1803-1849. [PMID: 31270766 PMCID: PMC6863952 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-019-01629-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In everyday decision-making, individuals make trade-offs between short-term and long-term benefits or costs. Depending on many factors, individuals may choose to wait for larger delayed reward, yet in other situations they may prefer the smaller, immediate reward. In addition to within-subject variation in the short-term versus long-term reward trade-off, there are also interindividual differences in delay discounting (DD), which have been shown to be quite stable. The extent to which individuals discount the value of delayed rewards turns out to be associated with important health and disorder-related outcomes: the more discounting, the more unhealthy or problematic choices. This has led to the hypothesis that DD can be conceptualized as trans-disease process. The current systematic review presents an overview of behavioral trainings and manipulations that have been developed to reduce DD in human participants aged 12 years or older. Manipulation studies mostly contain one session and measure DD directly after the manipulation. Training studies add a multiple session training component that is not per se related to DD, in between two DD task measurements. Ninety-eight studies (151 experiments) were identified that tested behavioral trainings and manipulations to decrease DD. Overall, results indicated that DD can be decreased, showing that DD is profoundly context dependent and changeable. Most promising avenues to pursue in future research seem to be acceptance-based/mindfulness-based trainings, and even more so manipulations involving a future orientation. Limitations and recommendations are discussed to identify the mechanistic processes that allow for changes in discount rate and behavior accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanneke Scholten
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Anouk Scheres
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik de Water
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Uta Graf
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Isabela Granic
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maartje Luijten
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9104, 6500, HE, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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21
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Acevedo-Molina MC, Matijevic S, Grilli MD. Beyond episodic remembering: elaborative retrieval of lifetime periods in young and older adults. Memory 2019; 28:83-93. [PMID: 31665972 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2019.1686152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Relative to young adults, cognitively normal older adults commonly generate more semantic details and fewer episodic details in their descriptions of unique life events. It remains unclear whether this reflects a specific change to episodic memory or a broader alteration to autobiographical narration. To explore age differences across different types of autobiographical narration, we created a lifetime period narrative task that involves describing extended events. For comparison, participants also described unique life events. All autobiographical narratives were scored for episodic, semantic, and other detail generation. Relative to young adults, older adults generated more detailed narratives for remote and recent lifetime periods, which was driven by their increased retrieval of personal and general semantic details. Older adults also generated more semantic details for unique life event narratives, along with reduced episodic detail. More broadly, in both groups lifetime period narratives were largely based on semantic details, whereas episodic details were more prominent in the descriptions of unique life events. These findings indicate that the elevated generation of semantic details associated with normal cognitive aging is reflected in multiple types of autobiographical narration. We suggest that lifetime period narration is a spared aspect of autobiographical memory among older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew D Grilli
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,Department of Neurology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA.,McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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22
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Mellis AM, Snider SE, Deshpande HU, LaConte SM, Bickel WK. Practicing prospection promotes patience: Repeated episodic future thinking cumulatively reduces delay discounting. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 204:107507. [PMID: 31520923 PMCID: PMC6878183 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2019] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delay discounting, or the preference for smaller, sooner over larger, later rewards, has been associated with alcohol use disorder and problem drinking. Episodic future thinking has been suggested as an intervention to address steep delay discounting. In the present study, we examined the effect of up to six consecutive sessions of episodic future thinking. METHODS Repeated, within-subject data were collected from current and recent problem drinkers (n = 50) over six sessions. Linear mixed-effect models were used to estimate effects of repeated sessions and manipulations. Participants completed episodic future thinking interviews at up to six sessions, in which they generated personalized future events. Participants also engaged with cues of scarcity. At each session, participants completed three delay discounting tasks under: a no-cue baseline condition, a future cue condition, and a scarcity cue condition. RESULTS Delay discounting in the no cue condition did not change over time. Discounting rates were reduced in the future cue condition, and these effects grew larger with repeated sessions. In the scarcity condition, discounting rates were slightly higher, with no effect of repeated sessions. CONCLUSIONS Episodic future thinking reduced delay discounting rate while future cues were presented, and these effects grew larger with repeated sessions. This suggests that repeated episodic future thinking may cumulatively potentiate repair of excessive preference for immediate reward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Warren K. Bickel
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia, USA 24016
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23
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Robin J, Rivest J, Rosenbaum RS, Moscovitch M. Remote spatial and autobiographical memory in cases of episodic amnesia and topographical disorientation. Cortex 2019; 119:237-257. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2018] [Revised: 03/24/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Abstract
The episodic memory system allows us to experience the emotions of past, counterfactual, and prospective events. We outline how this phenomenological experience can convey motivational incentives for farsighted decisions. In this way, we challenge important arguments for Mahr & Csibra's (M&C's) conclusion that future-oriented mental time travel is unlikely to be a central function of episodic memory.
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25
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Calluso C, Tosoni A, Cannito L, Committeri G. Concreteness and emotional valence of episodic future thinking (EFT) independently affect the dynamics of intertemporal decisions. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0217224. [PMID: 31136620 PMCID: PMC6538244 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0217224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
During intertemporal decisions, the value of future rewards decreases as a function of the delay of its receipt (temporal discounting, TD). Since high discount rates have been associated with a series of problematic behaviours and clinical conditions, current research has focused on possible modulators of TD. Specifically, a reduction of individual discount rates has been shown during episodic future thinking (EFT), wherein time intervals are anchored to personal future events. However, it is not entirely clear whether this effect is mediated by a change in the representation of future events (i.e., from abstract to concrete) or by a positive-emotion modulation. Here, we investigated this issue by manipulating the valence of the EFT (i.e., using negative, neutral and positive episodic tags), and by collecting explicit and implicit measures of behaviour. The results showed a significant reduction of TD in all the three emotional conditions compared to the baseline, with differences among them, thus suggesting the existence of a cumulative effect of the concreteness and affective components of the EFT. The analyses of implicit measures additionally revealed that this effect was mediated by a simultaneous increase/decrease of attraction toward the delayed/immediate alternative. Finally, these effects appeared to be modulated by participants' baseline discounting preferences. These findings provide important insights on clinical applications in reward-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Calluso
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Gabriele d’Annunzio University, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), Chieti Scalo, Italy
- Department of Business and Management, LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Annalisa Tosoni
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Gabriele d’Annunzio University, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), Chieti Scalo, Italy
| | - Loreta Cannito
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Gabriele d’Annunzio University, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), Chieti Scalo, Italy
| | - Giorgia Committeri
- Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Gabriele d’Annunzio University, and Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies (ITAB), Chieti Scalo, Italy
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Changing Delay Discounting and Impulsive Choice: Implications for Addictions, Prevention, and Human Health. Perspect Behav Sci 2019; 42:397-417. [PMID: 31650104 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-019-00200-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Delay discounting describes the tendency to devalue delayed consequences or future prospects. The degree to which an individual discounts delayed events appears trait-like in that it is stable over time and across functionally similar situations. Steeply discounting delayed rewards is correlated with most substance-use disorders, the severity of these disorders, rates of relapse to drug use, and a host of other maladaptive decisions impacting human health. Longitudinal data suggest steep delay discounting and high levels of impulsive choice are predictive of subsequent drug taking, which suggests (though does not establish) that reducing delay discounting could have a preventive health-promoting effect. Experimental manipulations that produce momentary or long-lasting reductions in delay discounting or impulsive choice are reviewed, and behavioral mechanisms that may underlie these effects are discussed. Shortcomings of each manipulation technique are discussed and areas for future research are identified. While much work remains, it is clear that impulsive decision-making can be reduced, despite its otherwise trait-like qualities. Such findings invite technique refinement, translational research, and hope.
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27
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Brunette AM, Calamia M, Black J, Tranel D. Is Episodic Future Thinking Important for Instrumental Activities of Daily Living? A Study in Neurological Patients and Healthy Older Adults. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2019; 34:403-417. [PMID: 29893785 PMCID: PMC6454851 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acy049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2017] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Episodic future thinking is the ability to mentally project oneself into the future. This construct has been explored extensively in cognitive neuroscience and may be relevant for adaptive functioning. However, it has not been determined whether the measurement of episodic future thinking might be valuable in a clinical neuropsychological setting. The current study investigated (1) the relationship between episodic future thinking and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs); and (2) whether episodic future thinking is related to IADLs over and above standard measures of cognition. METHOD Sixty-one older adults with heterogeneous neurological conditions and 41 healthy older adults completed a future thinking task (the adapted Autobiographical Interview), a performance-based measure of instrumental activities of daily living (the Independent Living Scales), and standard clinical measures of memory and executive functioning. RESULTS Episodic future thinking significantly predicted IADLs after accounting for age, education, gender, and depression (increase in R2 = .050, p = .010). Episodic future thinking significantly predicted IADLs over and above executive functioning (increase in R2 = .025, p = .030), but was not predictive of IADLs over and above memory (p = .157). CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that episodic future thinking is significantly associated with IADLs, beyond what can be accounted for by executive functioning. However, episodic future thinking did not predict IADLs over and above memory. Overall, there is limited evidence for the clinical utility of episodic future thinking. The findings suggest that an episodic future thinking task does not provide enough valuable information about IADLs to justify its inclusion in a clinical neuropsychological setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda M Brunette
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Matthew Calamia
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Jenah Black
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Daniel Tranel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
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28
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The future and me: Imagining the future and the future self in adolescent decision making. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2019.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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29
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Hollis-Hansen K, O’Donnell SE, Seidman JS, Brande SJ, Epstein LH. Improvements in episodic future thinking methodology: Establishing a standardized episodic thinking control. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214397. [PMID: 30921384 PMCID: PMC6438451 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Delay discounting (DD) is the choice of a smaller immediate reward over a larger delayed reward, which has been associated with a number of maladaptive behaviors. Episodic future thinking (EFT), the ability to project oneself into the future, is an intervention designed to reduce DD. EFT has reliable effects on DD, but the size of the effect varies, which could be due in part to the use of different control groups. Episodic recent thinking (ERT) serves as a common control for many EFT studies, but the temporal window of "recent" cues ranges from 24 hours ago to 12 days past. Since prior research has shown that retrospection can lead to prospection, it may be important to ensure that EFT controls do not inadvertently lead to prospection for some participants thereby increasing the variability of the control condition. The present study sought to develop a comparison group that standardizes the time frame and experiences that are the basis for the recent thinking control. METHODS Participants (n = 53, 18-45) were randomized to one of three conditions: EFT, ERT, or standardized episodic thinking (SET). Participants attended a laboratory appointment where they played mobile application games, created cues, and completed a DD task. RESULTS There was a significant difference between groups (p<0.05), with EFT reducing discounting more than either control (p<0.05), and no differences between ERT and SET (p>0.05). CONCLUSION This study established that SET provides an alternative control in EFT studies and provides the advantage of standardizing the participant's recent experience without changing the relationship between EFT and recent thinking controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen
- Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Sara E. O’Donnell
- Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Jennifer S. Seidman
- Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Spencer J. Brande
- Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
| | - Leonard H. Epstein
- Department of Pediatrics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
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Bulley A, Miloyan B, Pepper GV, Gullo MJ, Henry JD, Suddendorf T. Cuing both positive and negative episodic foresight reduces delay discounting but does not affect risk-taking. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2019; 72:1998-2017. [DOI: 10.1177/1747021818819777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Humans frequently create mental models of the future, allowing outcomes to be inferred in advance of their occurrence. Recent evidence suggests that imagining positive future events reduces delay discounting (the devaluation of reward with time until its receipt), while imagining negative future events may increase it. Here, using a sample of 297 participants, we experimentally assess the effects of cued episodic simulation of positive and negative future scenarios on decision-making in the context of both delay discounting (monetary choice questionnaire) and risk-taking (balloon-analogue risk task). Participants discounted the future less when cued to imagine positive and negative future scenarios than they did when cued to engage in control neutral imagery. There were no effects of experimental condition on risk-taking. Thus, although these results replicate previous findings suggesting episodic future simulation can reduce delay discounting, they indicate that this effect is not dependent on the valence of the thoughts, and does not generalise to all other forms of “impulsive” decision-making. We discuss various interpretations of these results, and suggest avenues for further research on the role of prospection in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Bulley
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Beyon Miloyan
- School of Psychology and Health Sciences, Federation University Australia, Ballarat, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Matthew J Gullo
- Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Julie D Henry
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Thomas Suddendorf
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Chen Z, Guo Y, Zhang S, Feng T. Pattern classification differentiates decision of intertemporal choices using multi-voxel pattern analysis. Cortex 2018; 111:183-195. [PMID: 30503997 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2018] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
In daily life, individuals frequently make trade-offs between the small-but-immediate benefits and large-but-delayed profits. This type of decision is known as intertemporal choice. Previous studies have uncovered the neurobiological mechanism of the intertemporal choice, but it still remains unclear how the patterns of brain activity predict the decisions of intertemporal choices. To fill this gap, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), in conjunction with the machine learning technique of multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA), to ascertain the predictive capability of the neuronal pattern for classifying individuals' intertemporal decisions across two independent samples. To further probe how this neuronal pattern worked in predicting individual intertemporal decision, we drew on the Power Atlas to examine the accuracies of classification within each regional mask as well. Classification findings showed that the pattern of neuronal activity over the whole-brain can correctly classify the accuracies of individual decisions up to 84.3%. Encouragingly, further analysis shows that the neuronal information encoded in three brain functional networks can predict individuals' decisions with significant discriminative power in cross-samples, namely the valuation network (e.g., striatum), the cognitive control network (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and the episodic prospection network (e.g., amygdala, parahippocampus gyrus, insula). Collectively, these findings advance our comprehension of the neuronal mechanism of human intertemporal decisions, and substantially reshape our understanding for this cardinal behaviour from behavioural-brain scheme to brain-behavioural configuration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyi Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yiqun Guo
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Shunmin Zhang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Tingyong Feng
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, China.
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Rung JM, Madden GJ. Experimental reductions of delay discounting and impulsive choice: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Exp Psychol Gen 2018; 147:1349-1381. [PMID: 30148386 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Many behaviors posing significant risks to public health are characterized by repeated decisions to forego better long-term outcomes in the face of immediate temptations. Steeply discounting the value of delayed outcomes often underlies a pattern of impulsive choice. Steep delay discounting is correlated with addictions (e.g., substance abuse, obesity) and behaviors such as seatbelt use and risky sexual activity. As evidence accumulates suggesting steep delay discounting plays a causal role in these maladaptive behaviors, researchers have begun testing methods for reducing discounting. In this first systematic and comprehensive review of this literature, the findings of 92 articles employing different methodologies to reduce discounting are evaluated narratively and meta-analytically. Although most of the methods reviewed produced significant reductions in discounting, they varied in effect sizes. Most methods were ideal for influencing one-off choices (e.g., framing and priming manipulations), although other successful manipulations, such as episodic future thinking, could be incorporated into existing therapies designed to produce longer-lasting changes in decision-making. The largest and longest-lasting effects were produced by learning-based manipulations, although translational research is needed to determine the generality and clinical utility of these methods. Methodological shortcomings in the existing literature and suggestions for ameliorating these issues are discussed. This review reveals a variety of methods with translational potential, which, through continued refinement, may prove effective in reducing impulsive choice and its associated maladaptive decisions that negatively impact quality of life. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Palombo DJ, Sheldon S, Levine B. Individual Differences in Autobiographical Memory. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:583-597. [PMID: 29807853 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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McCormick C, Ciaramelli E, De Luca F, Maguire EA. Comparing and Contrasting the Cognitive Effects of Hippocampal and Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex Damage: A Review of Human Lesion Studies. Neuroscience 2018; 374:295-318. [PMID: 28827088 PMCID: PMC6053620 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.07.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) are closely connected brain regions whose functions are still debated. In order to offer a fresh perspective on understanding the contributions of these two brain regions to cognition, in this review we considered cognitive tasks that usually elicit deficits in hippocampal-damaged patients (e.g., autobiographical memory retrieval), and examined the performance of vmPFC-lesioned patients on these tasks. We then took cognitive tasks where performance is typically compromised following vmPFC damage (e.g., decision making), and looked at how these are affected by hippocampal lesions. Three salient motifs emerged. First, there are surprising gaps in our knowledge about how hippocampal and vmPFC patients perform on tasks typically associated with the other group. Second, while hippocampal or vmPFC damage seems to adversely affect performance on so-called hippocampal tasks, the performance of hippocampal and vmPFC patients clearly diverges on classic vmPFC tasks. Third, although performance appears analogous on hippocampal tasks, on closer inspection, there are significant disparities between hippocampal and vmPFC patients. Based on these findings, we suggest a tentative hierarchical model to explain the functions of the hippocampus and vmPFC. We propose that the vmPFC initiates the construction of mental scenes by coordinating the curation of relevant elements from neocortical areas, which are then funneled into the hippocampus to build a scene. The vmPFC then engages in iterative re-initiation via feedback loops with neocortex and hippocampus to facilitate the flow and integration of the multiple scenes that comprise the coherent unfolding of an extended mental event.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelia McCormick
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
| | - Elisa Ciaramelli
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Centro studi e ricerche di Neuroscienze Cognitive, Cesena, Italy
| | - Flavia De Luca
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy; Centro studi e ricerche di Neuroscienze Cognitive, Cesena, Italy
| | - Eleanor A Maguire
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK.
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Keven N, Kurczek J, Rosenbaum RS, Craver CF. Narrative construction is intact in episodic amnesia. Neuropsychologia 2018; 110:104-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/25/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Abstract
AbstractMahr & Csibra (M&C) propose that episodic memory evolved to support epistemic authority in social communication. We argue for a more parsimonious interpretation whereby episodic memory subserves a broader preparatory function for both social and non-social behavior. We conclude by highlighting that functional accounts of episodic memory may need to consider the complex interrelations between self and subjective time.
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Bromberg U, Lobatcheva M, Peters J. Episodic future thinking reduces temporal discounting in healthy adolescents. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188079. [PMID: 29166658 PMCID: PMC5699809 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Episodic Future Thinking has proven efficient in reducing impulsive behavior in several adult populations. Whether it also has a beneficial impact on decision making in adolescents is not known. Here the impact of episodic future thinking on discounting behavior was investigated in a sample of healthy adolescents (n = 44, age range 13–16 years). Discounting behavior in trials including episodic future thinking was significantly less impulsive than in control trials (t = 2.74, p = .009, dz = .44). In a subsample we controlled for executive function, alcohol use and developmental measures. Neither executive function nor alcohol use but developmental measures explained variability in the effect of episodic future thinking. These findings reveal that episodic future thinking can improve adolescent decision making while the effect is to some degree modulated by developmental measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uli Bromberg
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Maria Lobatcheva
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Peters
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Biological Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Hill PF, Yi R, Spreng RN, Diana RA. Neural congruence between intertemporal and interpersonal self-control: Evidence from delay and social discounting. Neuroimage 2017; 162:186-198. [PMID: 28877515 PMCID: PMC10949520 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.08.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral studies using delay and social discounting as indices of self-control and altruism, respectively, have revealed functional similarities between farsighted and social decisions. However, neural evidence for this functional link is lacking. Twenty-five young adults completed a delay and social discounting task during fMRI scanning. A spatiotemporal partial least squares analysis revealed that both forms of discounting were well characterized by a pattern of brain activity in areas comprising frontoparietal control, default, and mesolimbic reward networks. Both forms of discounting appear to draw on common neurocognitive mechanisms, regardless of whether choices involve intertemporal or interpersonal outcomes. We also observed neural profiles differentiating between high and low discounters. High discounters were well characterized by increased medial temporal lobe and limbic activity. In contrast, low discount rates were associated with activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and right temporoparietal junction. This pattern may reflect biological mechanisms underlying behavioral heterogeneity in discount rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F Hill
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Richard Yi
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - R Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada; Human Neuroscience Institute, Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Rachel A Diana
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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Abstract
Episodic future thinking refers to the capacity to imagine or simulate experiences that might occur in one's personal future. Cognitive, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging research concerning episodic future thinking has accelerated during recent years. This article discusses research that has delineated cognitive and neural mechanisms that support episodic future thinking as well as the functions that episodic future thinking serves. Studies focused on mechanisms have identified a core brain network that underlies episodic future thinking and have begun to tease apart the relative contributions of particular regions in this network, and the specific cognitive processes that they support. Studies concerned with functions have identified several domains in which episodic future thinking produces performance benefits, including decision making, emotion regulation, prospective memory, and spatial navigation.
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Episodic Tags Enhance Striatal Valuation Signals during Temporal Discounting in pathological Gamblers. eNeuro 2017; 4:eN-NWR-0159-17. [PMID: 28612049 PMCID: PMC5469028 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0159-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to many addiction disorders, pathological gambling is associated with an increased preference for immediate rewards (steep temporal discounting). In healthy participants, episodic future thinking has been shown to reduce impulsivity during intertemporal choice. Here, we examine for the first time a modulation of temporal discounting via episodic future thinking in a group of pathological gamblers. We investigated a sample of 24 pathological gamblers and 24 matched healthy controls with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants made intertemporal choices in two experimental conditions. In the control condition, delayed monetary rewards were offered with the respective amount and delay. In the episodic condition, rewards were additionally associated with participant-specific personal future events. We replicated previous findings of increased temporal discounting in pathological gambling. On a trend level, episodic future thinking attenuated discounting across all participants. We found that pathological gamblers could successfully recruit a prospection related network during decision-making in the presence of episodic information. The episodic condition modulated the functional connection between ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum, a mechanism that might support the increase in striatal value coding observed in the episodic condition in gamblers. However, in controls, but not in gamblers, valuation signal changes in the hippocampus were associated with less impulsive behavior. We provide first evidence that by episodic cues during intertemporal decision-making striatal valuation signals can be enhanced in pathological gamblers. Further research is needed to explore interventions that reliably reduce impulsive choice behavior in pathological gambling.
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Grilli MD. The association of personal semantic memory to identity representations: insight into higher-order networks of autobiographical contents. Memory 2017; 25:1435-1443. [DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2017.1315137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Hu X, Uhle F, Fliessbach K, Wagner M, Han Y, Weber B, Jessen F. Reduced future-oriented decision making in individuals with subjective cognitive decline: A functional MRI study. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT & DISEASE MONITORING 2017; 6:222-231. [PMID: 28393099 PMCID: PMC5376255 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadm.2017.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) refers to an at-risk state of Alzheimer's disease and subtle cognitive deficits that have been observed in this condition. Currently, it is unknown whether complex cognitive processes relevant to everyday life, such as future-oriented choice behavior, are also altered in SCD. Methods Twenty SCD participants and 24 control (CO) participants took part in a functional magnetic resonance imaging task on intertemporal decisions, with and without simultaneous episodic future imagination. Results SCD participants showed reduced future-oriented choices. Future imagination increased future-oriented choices and was associated with increased brain activation in medial frontal polar cortex, right insular cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex in CO only, not SCD. In addition, more future-oriented choices were associated with hippocampal activation during choice processing in CO only. Discussion Subtle neuronal network disruptions in SCD may underlie their myopic future decisions and lack of modulation of choice behavior by episodic future imagination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Franziska Uhle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Klaus Fliessbach
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Ying Han
- Department of Neurology, XuanWu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Bernd Weber
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Center for Economics and Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Frank Jessen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
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Bulley A, Gullo MJ. The influence of episodic foresight on delay discounting and demand for alcohol. Addict Behav 2017; 66:1-6. [PMID: 27837662 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a near-universal tendency to discount the value of delayed rewards relative to those available in the here and now. The rate at which future rewards become devalued over time, delay discounting, is an important individual difference variable related to impulsivity and is elevated in externalising disorders, including alcohol use disorders. Recent research suggests that vividly imagining personally relevant future events (episodic foresight) during an intertemporal choice task can attenuate the rate at which delayed rewards are discounted. OBJECTIVES The present study sought to extend these findings by examining the effect of episodic foresight on both delay discounting and alcohol-related decision-making. METHODS Forty-eight college students were administered both modified intertemporal choice and hypothetical alcohol purchase tasks during which personally relevant episodic future event cues or control imagery cues were presented. RESULTS Engaging in episodic foresight reduced both the rate at which delayed monetary rewards were discounted and initial alcohol demand intensity (but not other demand indices) relative to control imagery. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that the attenuating effect of episodic foresight on impulsivity may be limited to particular aspects of impulsive choice.
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Solway A, Lohrenz T, Montague PR. Simulating future value in intertemporal choice. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43119. [PMID: 28225034 PMCID: PMC5320483 DOI: 10.1038/srep43119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The laboratory study of how humans and other animals trade-off value and time has a long and storied history, and is the subject of a vast literature. However, despite a long history of study, there is no agreed upon mechanistic explanation of how intertemporal choice preferences arise. Several theorists have recently proposed model-based reinforcement learning as a candidate framework. This framework describes a suite of algorithms by which a model of the environment, in the form of a state transition function and reward function, can be converted on-line into a decision. The state transition function allows the model-based system to make decisions based on projected future states, while the reward function assigns value to each state, together capturing the necessary components for successful intertemporal choice. Empirical work has also pointed to a possible relationship between increased prospection and reduced discounting. In the current paper, we look for direct evidence of a relationship between temporal discounting and model-based control in a large new data set (n = 168). However, testing the relationship under several different modeling formulations revealed no indication that the two quantities are related.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alec Solway
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Terry Lohrenz
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - P Read Montague
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA.,Department of Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA.,Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
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Toward Narrative Theory: Interventions for Reinforcer Pathology in Health Behavior. NEBRASKA SYMPOSIUM ON MOTIVATION 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-51721-6_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Differences in Behavior and Brain Activity during Hypothetical and Real Choices. Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 21:46-56. [PMID: 27979604 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 11/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Real behaviors are binding consequential commitments to a course of action, such as harming another person, buying an Apple watch, or fleeing from danger. Cognitive scientists are generally interested in the psychological and neural processes that cause such real behavior. However, for practical reasons, many scientific studies measure behavior using only hypothetical or imagined stimuli. Generalizing from such studies to real behavior implicitly assumes that the processes underlying the two types of behavior are similar. We review evidence of similarity and differences in hypothetical and real mental processes. In many cases, hypothetical choice tasks give an incomplete picture of brain circuitry that is active during real choice.
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Baker S, Vieweg P, Gao F, Gilboa A, Wolbers T, Black S, Rosenbaum R. The Human Dentate Gyrus Plays a Necessary Role in Discriminating New Memories. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2629-2634. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Rosenbaum RS, Kwan D, Floden D, Levine B, Stuss DT, Craver CF. No evidence of risk-taking or impulsive behaviour in a person with episodic amnesia: Implications for the role of the hippocampus in future-regarding decision-making. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2016; 69:1606-18. [DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2015.1090461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Does advantageous decision-making require one to explicitly remember the outcome of a series of past decisions or to imagine future personal consequences of one's choices? Findings that amnesic people with hippocampal damage cannot form a clear preference for advantageous decks over many learning trials on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) have been taken to suggest that complex decision-making on the IGT depends on declarative (episodic) memory and hippocampal integrity. Alternatively, impaired IGT performance in amnesic individuals could be secondary to risk-taking and/or impulsive behaviour resulting from impaired episodic future thinking (i.e. prospection) known to accompany amnesia. We tested this possibility in the amnesic individual K.C. using the IGT and the Toronto Gambling Task (TGT), a novel task that dissociates impulsivity from risk-taking without placing demands on declarative memory. K.C. did not develop a preference for advantageous over disadvantageous decks on the IGT and, instead, showed a slight preference for short-term gains and an inability to acquire a more adaptive appreciation of longer-term losses. He also did not display impulsive or risk-taking behaviour on the TGT, despite a profound inability to imagine personal future experiences. These findings suggest that impaired decision-making on the IGT in amnesia is unlikely to reflect a predilection to act in the moment or failure to take future consequences into account. Instead, some forms of future-regarding decision-making may be dissociable, with performance on tasks relying on declarative learning or on episodic-constructive processes more likely to be impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. S. Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D. Kwan
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D. Floden
- Center for Neurological Restoration, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - B. Levine
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Departments of Psychology and Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - D. T. Stuss
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Departments of Psychology and Medicine (Neurology), University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Ontario Brain Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - C. F. Craver
- Program in Philosophy, Neuroscience, and Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA
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Electrophysiological evidence during episodic prospection implicates medial prefrontal and bilateral middle temporal gyrus. Brain Res 2016; 1644:296-305. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.03.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Palombo DJ, Keane MM, Verfaellie M. Using future thinking to reduce temporal discounting: Under what circumstances are the medial temporal lobes critical? Neuropsychologia 2016; 89:437-444. [PMID: 27384755 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 07/02/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The capacity to envision the future plays an important role in many aspects of cognition, including our ability to make optimal, adaptive choices. Past work has shown that the medial temporal lobe (MTL) is necessary for decisions that draw on episodic future thinking. By contrast, little is known about the role of the MTL in decisions that draw on semantic future thinking. Accordingly, the present study investigated whether the MTL contributes to one form of decision making, namely intertemporal choice, when such decisions depend on semantic consideration of the future. In an intertemporal choice task, participants must select either a smaller amount of money that is available in the present or a larger amount of money that would be available at a future date. Amnesic individuals with MTL damage and healthy control participants performed such a task in which, prior to making a choice, they engaged in a semantic generation exercise, wherein they generated items that they would purchase with the future reward. In experiment 1, we found that, relative to a baseline condition involving standard intertemporal choice, healthy individuals were more inclined to select a larger, later reward over a smaller, present reward after engaging in semantic future thinking. By contrast, amnesic participants were paradoxically less inclined to wait for a future reward following semantic future thinking. This finding suggests that amnesics may have had difficulty "tagging" the generated item(s) as belonging to the future. Critically, experiment 2 showed that when the generated items were presented alongside the intertemporal choices, both controls and amnesic participants shifted to more patient choices. These findings suggest that the MTL is not needed for making optimal decisions that draw on semantic future thinking as long as scaffolding is provided to support accurate time tagging. Together, these findings stand to better clarify the role of the MTL in decision making.
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Affiliation(s)
- D J Palombo
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130, United States; Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, United States.
| | - M M Keane
- Wellesley College, Department of Psychology, 106 Central Street Wellesley, MA 02481, United States; VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130, United States; Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, United States
| | - M Verfaellie
- VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130, United States; Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 72 East Concord St., Boston, MA 02118, United States
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