When desire collides with reason: functional interactions between anteroventral prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens underlie the human ability to resist impulsive desires.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
Esther K Diekhof, Oliver Gruber

Abstract

Human decisions are guided by "desire" or "reason," which control actions oriented toward either proximal or long-term goals. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess how the human brain mediates the balance between proximal reward desiring and long-term goals, when actions promoting a superordinate goal preclude exploitation of an immediately available reward option. Consistent with the view that the reward system interacts with prefrontal circuits during action control, we found that behavior favoring the long-term goal, but counteracting immediate reward desiring, relied on a negative functional interaction of anteroventral prefrontal cortex (avPFC) with nucleus accumbens (Nacc) and ventral tegmental area. The degree of functional interaction between avPFC and Nacc further predicted behavioral success during pursuit of the distal goal, when confronted with a proximal reward option, and scaled with interindividual differences in trait impulsivity. These findings reveal how the human brain accomplishes voluntary action control guided by "reason," suggesting that inhibitory avPFC influences Nacc activity during actions requiring a restraint of immediate "desires."

Citations

May 29, 2012·European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience·Guillaume FondStéphane Raffard
Jan 27, 2012·Pediatric Research·Patrícia P SilveiraUNKNOWN Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability and Neurodevelopment Study Team
Jan 4, 2013·The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience·Koji JimuraTodd S Braver
Feb 19, 2014·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Sarah TrostOliver Gruber
Sep 26, 2013·European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience·Tobias MelcherOliver Gruber
Jan 13, 2015·NeuroImage·M EconomidesR J Dolan
Sep 19, 2012·Biological Psychiatry·Claudia MihindouSerge H Ahmed
Apr 19, 2011·Trends in Cognitive Sciences·Jan Peters, Christian Büchel
Nov 3, 2015·Journal of Psychiatric Research·Anja RichterOliver Gruber
Jun 17, 2011·Brain Research·Christopher G Coutlee, Scott A Huettel
May 1, 2013·Experimental Psychology·Amy Jane CaswellTheodora Duka
Jun 18, 2015·Frontiers in Psychology·Matthew L Dixon
Jun 6, 2015·Cerebral Cortex·Claudia WolfOliver Gruber
Apr 17, 2015·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Ronny RedlichUdo Dannlowski
May 6, 2014·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Matthew L Dixon, Kalina Christoff
Oct 21, 2014·European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience·Roberto Goya-MaldonadoOliver Gruber
Feb 15, 2014·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·Kara L KerrW Kyle Simmons
May 18, 2016·Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology·Sarah TrostOliver Gruber
Aug 7, 2016·Frontiers in Psychology·Junhong YuTatia M C Lee
Mar 26, 2016·Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience·Lena M PaschkeHenrik Walter
Apr 12, 2017·Human Brain Mapping·Bernd KrämerOliver Gruber
Mar 16, 2018·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Nicole R GiulianiElliot T Berkman
Dec 12, 2017·Current Sexual Health Reports·Gerben B Ruesink, Janniko R Georgiadis
Jun 5, 2018·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Peter A HallDylan D Wagner
Aug 2, 2017·Brain Connectivity·Katja BrodmannRoberto Goya-Maldonado
Aug 25, 2017·British Journal of Sports Medicine·Andreas VenhorstTimothy D Noakes
Aug 19, 2018·Human Brain Mapping·Cameron ParroKalina Christoff

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Basal Ganglia

Basal Ganglia are a group of subcortical nuclei in the brain associated with control of voluntary motor movements, procedural and habit learning, emotion, and cognition. Here is the latest research.