Attenuation of dopamine-modulated prefrontal value signals underlies probabilistic reward learning deficits in old age.
other · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 28870286.
- Also identified by DOI 10.7554/eLife.26424 and PMC identifier 5593512.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Probabilistic reward learning is characterised by individual differences that become acute in aging. This may be due to age-related dopamine (DA) decline affecting neural processing in striatum, prefrontal cortex, or both. We examined this by administering a probabilistic reward learning task to younger and older adults, and combining computational modelling of behaviour, fMRI and PET measurements of DA D1 availability. We found that anticipatory value signals in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) were attenuated in older adults. The strength of this signal predicted performance beyond age and was modulated by D1 availability in nucleus accumbens. These results uncover that a value-anticipation mechanism in vmPFC declines in aging, and that this mechanism is associated with DA D1 receptor availability.
Medical subject headings
- Dopamine
- Prefrontal Cortex
- Probability Learning
- Reward