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Holton E, Grohn J, Ward H, Manohar SG, O'Reilly JX, Kolling N. Goal commitment is supported by vmPFC through selective attention. Nat Hum Behav 2024:10.1038/s41562-024-01844-5. [PMID: 38632389 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01844-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
When striking a balance between commitment to a goal and flexibility in the face of better options, people often demonstrate strong goal perseveration. Here, using functional MRI (n = 30) and lesion patient (n = 26) studies, we argue that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) drives goal commitment linked to changes in goal-directed selective attention. Participants performed an incremental goal pursuit task involving sequential decisions between persisting with a goal versus abandoning progress for better alternative options. Individuals with stronger goal perseveration showed higher goal-directed attention in an interleaved attention task. Increasing goal-directed attention also affected abandonment decisions: while pursuing a goal, people lost their sensitivity to valuable alternative goals while remaining more sensitive to changes in the current goal. In a healthy population, individual differences in both commitment biases and goal-oriented attention were predicted by baseline goal-related activity in the vmPFC. Among lesion patients, vmPFC damage reduced goal commitment, leading to a performance benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Holton
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Jan Grohn
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Harry Ward
- Centre for Experimental Medicine and Rheumatology, Queen Mary University London (QMUL), London, UK
| | - Sanjay G Manohar
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jill X O'Reilly
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Nils Kolling
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Stem Cell and Brain Research Institute U1208, Inserm, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Bron, France
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Wagner F, Rogenz J, Opitz L, Maas J, Schmidt A, Brodoehl S, Ullsperger M, Klingner CM. Reward network dysfunction is associated with cognitive impairment after stroke. Neuroimage Clin 2023; 39:103446. [PMID: 37307650 PMCID: PMC10276182 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2023.103446] [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: 03/15/2023] [Revised: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Stroke survivors not only suffer from severe motor, speech and neurocognitive deficits, but in many cases also from a "lack of pleasure" and a reduced motivational level. Especially apathy and anhedonic symptoms can be linked to a dysfunction of the reward system. Rewards are considered as important co-factor for learning, so the question arises as to why and how this affects the rehabilitation of stroke patients. We investigated reward behaviour, learning ability and brain network connectivity in acute (3-7d) mild to moderate stroke patients (n = 28) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 26). Reward system activity was assessed using the Monetary Incentive Delay task (MID) during magnetoencephalography (MEG). Coherence analyses were used to demonstrate reward effects on brain functional network connectivity. The MID-task showed that stroke survivors had lower reward sensitivity and required greater monetary incentives to improve performance and showed deficits in learning improvement. MEG-analyses showed a reduced network connectivity in frontal and temporoparietal regions. All three effects (reduced reward sensitivity, reduced learning ability and altered cerebral connectivity) were found to be closely related and differed strongly from the healthy group. Our results reinforce the notion that acute stroke induces reward network dysfunction, leading to functional impairment of behavioural systems. These findings are representative of a general pattern in mild strokes and are independent of the specific lesion localisation. For stroke rehabilitation, these results represent an important point to identify the reduced learning capacity after stroke and to implement individualised recovery exercises accordingly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska Wagner
- Department of Neurology, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Biomagnetic Centre, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany.
| | - Jenny Rogenz
- Department of Neurology, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Biomagnetic Centre, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Laura Opitz
- Department of Neurology, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Biomagnetic Centre, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Johanna Maas
- Department of Neurology, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Biomagnetic Centre, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Alexander Schmidt
- Department of Neurology, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Biomagnetic Centre, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Stefan Brodoehl
- Department of Neurology, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Biomagnetic Centre, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Ullsperger
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, Institute of Psychology, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Carsten M Klingner
- Department of Neurology, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany; Biomagnetic Centre, 07747 Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
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