Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China.
Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, No. 2, Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing, 400715, China.
Cereb Cortex. 2024 Jul 3;34(7). doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae296.
Delay discounting refers to the tendency of individuals to devalue future rewards as the delay in their receipt increases over time. Previous studies have indicated that future self-continuity correlates with delay discounting rates. However, the neural basis underlying the relationship between future self-continuity and delay discounting is not clear. To address this question, we used voxel-based morphometry and resting-state functional connectivity analyses to investigate the neural basis underlying the association between future self-continuity and delay discounting. Behavioral result showed that future self-continuity was positively associated with delay discounting. Voxel-based morphometry analysis result indicated that gray matter volume in the right dorsal anterior insula was positively correlated with future self-continuity. Resting-state functional connectivity analysis found that functional connectivity between the right dorsal anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex was positively associated with future self-continuity. Mediation analysis showed that the right dorsal anterior insula-right anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity partially mediated the relationship between future self-continuity and delay discounting. These results suggested that right dorsal anterior insula-right anterior cingulate cortex functional connectivity could be the neural basis underlying the association between future self-continuity and delay discounting. In summary, the study provided novel insights into how future self-continuity affected delay discounting and offers new explanations from a neural perspective.
延迟折扣是指个体随着未来奖励获得时间的延迟而逐渐降低对未来奖励的评价倾向。先前的研究表明，未来自我连续性与延迟折扣率相关。然而，未来自我连续性和延迟折扣之间关系的神经基础尚不清楚。为了解决这个问题，我们使用基于体素的形态测量学和静息态功能连接分析来研究未来自我连续性和延迟折扣之间关联的神经基础。行为结果表明，未来自我连续性与延迟折扣呈正相关。基于体素的形态测量学分析结果表明，右侧背侧前岛叶的灰质体积与未来自我连续性呈正相关。静息态功能连接分析发现，右侧背侧前岛叶和前扣带皮层之间的功能连接与未来自我连续性呈正相关。中介分析表明，右侧背侧前岛叶-前扣带皮层功能连接部分介导了未来自我连续性和延迟折扣之间的关系。这些结果表明，右侧背侧前岛叶-前扣带皮层功能连接可能是未来自我连续性和延迟折扣之间关系的神经基础。总之，该研究提供了关于未来自我连续性如何影响延迟折扣的新见解，并从神经角度提供了新的解释。
