Frontostriatal white matter integrity mediates adult age differences in probabilistic reward learning.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Frontostriatal circuits have been implicated in reward learning, and emerging findings suggest that frontal white matter structural integrity and probabilistic reward learning are reduced in older age. This cross-sectional study examined whether age differences in frontostriatal white matter integrity could account for age differences in reward learning in a community life span sample of human adults. By combining diffusion tensor imaging with a probabilistic reward learning task, we found that older age was associated with decreased reward learning and decreased white matter integrity in specific pathways running from the thalamus to the medial prefrontal cortex and from the medial prefrontal cortex to the ventral striatum. Further, white matter integrity in these thalamocorticostriatal paths could statistically account for age differences in learning. These findings suggest that the integrity of frontostriatal white matter pathways critically supports reward learning. The findings also raise the possibility that interventions that bolster frontostriatal integrity might improve reward learning and decision making.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Samanez-Larkin, GR; Levens, SM; Perry, LM; Dougherty, RF; Knutson, B
Published Date
- April 2012
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 32 / 15
Start / End Page
- 5333 - 5337
PubMed ID
- 22496578
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC3744863
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1529-2401
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0270-6474
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1523/jneurosci.5756-11.2012
Language
- eng