Neural mechanisms of decision‐making in aging

Lighthall, Nichole R.

doi:10.1002/wcs.1519

Cited by 29 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 223 publications

(357 reference statements)

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“…Future work should include brain imaging to address the role of brain aging in a health decision-making context. There is a need for neurobiological studies that properly assess the aging brain and how this process influences positivity effects (Lighthall, 2020).…”

Section: Positivity Vs Negativity Biases On Major Health Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age Differences in Preferences for Fear-Enhancing Vs. Fear-Reducing News in a Disease Outbreak

et al. 2020

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Older adults (OA) prefer positive over negative information in a lab setting, compared to young adults (YA; i.e., positivity effects). The extent to which OA avoid negative events or information relevant for their health and safety is not clear. We first investigated age differences in preferences for fear-enhancing vs. fear-reducing news articles during the Ebola Outbreak of 2014. We were able to collect data from 15 YA and 13 OA during this acute health event. Compared to YA, OA were more likely to read the fear-enhancing article, select hand-sanitizer over lip balm, and reported greater fear of Ebola. We further investigated our research question during the COVID-19 pandemic with 164 YA (18–30 years) and 171 OA (60–80 years). Participants responded to an online survey about the COVID-19 pandemic across 13 days during the initial peak of the pandemic in the United States (U.S.). Both YA and OA preferred to read positive over negative news about the coronavirus, but OA were even more likely than YA to prefer the positive news article. No age differences in the fear of contraction were found, but OA engaged in more health-protective behaviors compared to YA. Although OA may not always report greater fear than YA or seek out negative information related to a health concern, they still engage in protective health behaviors. Thus, although positivity effects were observed in attention and emotional reports (in the COVID-19 study), OA still modified their behaviors more than YA (giveaway in both studies, and health-protective behavior change in the COVID-19 study), suggesting that positivity effects did not hamper OA ability to respond to a health crisis.

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Section: Positivity Vs Negativity Biases On Major Health Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age Differences in Preferences for Fear-Enhancing Vs. Fear-Reducing News in a Disease Outbreak

et al. 2020

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“…Humans base decision-making processes on available sensory evidence, evaluation of options, and choice selection from a set of alternatives [51]. As mentioned above, these specific computation steps require the recruitment of several neural systems with different anatomical, physiological, connective, and behavioral backgrounds [52][53][54][55][56]. However, the brain is not an isolated organ, it is also part of the bilateral body plan.…”

Section: Indoor Air Pollutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Indoor Air Pollution and Decision-Making Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Review

Torres¹,

Mourad²,

Leheste³

2022

Cureus

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The human brain is constantly exposed to air pollutants, some of which might be disruptive or even lethal to certain neurons implicated in abstract features of cognitive function. In this review, we present new evidence from behavioral and neural studies in humans, suggesting a link between indoor fine particulate matter and decision-making behavior. To illustrate this relationship, we use qualitative sources, such as historical documents of the Vietnam War to develop hypotheses of how aerial transmission of pollutants might obstruct alternative choices during the evaluation of policy decisions. We first describe the neural circuits driving decision-making processes by addressing how neurons and their cognate receptors directly evaluate and transduce physical phenomena into sensory perceptions that allow us to decide the best course of action among competing alternatives. We then raise the possibility that indoor air pollutants might also impact cell-signaling systems outside the brain parenchyma to further obstruct the computational analysis of the social environment. We also highlight how particulate matter might be pathologically integrated into the brain to override control of sensory decisions, and thereby perturb selection of choice. These lines of research aim to extend our understanding of how inhalation of airborne particulates and toxicants in smoke, for example, might contribute to cognitive impairment and negative health outcomes.

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“…Other components such as mentalizing or meta‐cognition decline in late adulthood (Reiter et al, 2017 ; for evidence on age‐differences when inferring others' intentions, see Reiter et al, 2021 ). Neuroimaging evidence on the aging brain provides insights into the neurobiological underpinning of these differential trajectories of social processes in late adulthood and decision‐making (for reviews, see Beadle & De la Vega, 2019 ; Lighthall, 2020 ). Research on this topic is still in its infancy.…”

Section: Synthesis and Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurocomputational models of altruistic decision‐making and social motives: Advances, pitfalls, and future directions

Tusche

Bas

2021

WIRES Cognitive Science

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This article discusses insights from computational models and social neuroscience into motivations, precursors, and mechanisms of altruistic decisionmaking and other-regard. We introduce theoretical and methodological tools for researchers who wish to adopt a multilevel, computational approach to study behaviors that promote others' welfare. Using examples from recent studies, we outline multiple mental and neural processes relevant to altruism.To this end, we integrate evidence from neuroimaging, psychology, economics, and formalized mathematical models. We introduce basic mechanismspertinent to a broad range of value-based decisions-and social emotions and cognitions commonly recruited when our decisions involve other people.Regarding the latter, we discuss how decomposing distinct facets of social processes can advance altruistic models and the development of novel, targeted interventions. We propose that an accelerated synthesis of computational approaches and social neuroscience represents a critical step towards a more comprehensive understanding of altruistic decision-making. We discuss the utility of this approach to study lifespan differences in social preference in late adulthood, a crucial future direction in aging global populations. Finally, we review potential pitfalls and recommendations for researchers interested in applying a computational approach to their research.

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Neural mechanisms of decision‐making in aging

Cited by 29 publications

References 223 publications

Age Differences in Preferences for Fear-Enhancing Vs. Fear-Reducing News in a Disease Outbreak

Age Differences in Preferences for Fear-Enhancing Vs. Fear-Reducing News in a Disease Outbreak

Indoor Air Pollution and Decision-Making Behavior: An Interdisciplinary Review

Neurocomputational models of altruistic decision‐making and social motives: Advances, pitfalls, and future directions

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