Intertemporal choice requires choosing between a smaller reward available after a shorter time de... more Intertemporal choice requires choosing between a smaller reward available after a shorter time delay and a larger reward available after a longer time delay. Previous studies suggest that intertemporal preferences are formed by generating a subjective value of the monetary rewards that depends on reward amount and the associated time delay. Neuroimaging results indicate that this subjective value is tracked by ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum. Subsequently, an accumulation process, subserved by a network including dorsal medial frontal cortex (dmFC), dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (pPC), selects a choice based on the subjective values. The mechanisms of how value accumulation interacts with subjective valuation to make a choice, and how brain regions communicate during decision making are undetermined. We developed and performed an EEG experiment that parametrically manipulated the probability of preferring delayed...
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Jan 30, 2014
Large individual differences exist in the ability to delay gratification for the sake of satisfyi... more Large individual differences exist in the ability to delay gratification for the sake of satisfying longer-term goals. These individual differences are commonly assayed by studying intertemporal preferences, as revealed by choices between immediate and delayed rewards. In the brain, reward-based and goal-oriented decisions are believed to rely on the striatum and its interactions with other cortical and subcortical networks. However, it remains unknown which specific cortical-striatal tracts are involved in intertemporal decision making. We use connectivity analyses in both structural and functional MRI to further our understanding of the relationship between distinct corticostriatal networks and intertemporal preferences in humans. Our results revealed distinct striatal pathways that are differentially related to delay discounting. Structural and functional connectivity between striatum and lateral prefrontal cortex was associated with increased patience, whereas connectivity betwe...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015
Adolescence is a developmental period associated with an increase in impulsivity. Impulsivity is ... more Adolescence is a developmental period associated with an increase in impulsivity. Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct, and in this study we focus on one of the underlying components: impatience. Impatience can result from (i) disregard of future outcomes and/or (ii) oversensitivity to immediate rewards, but it is not known which of these evaluative processes underlie developmental changes. To distinguish between these two causes, we investigated developmental changes in the structural and functional connectivity of different frontostriatal tracts. We report that adolescents were more impatient on an intertemporal choice task and reported less future orientation, but not more present hedonism, than young adults. Developmental increases in structural connectivity strength in the right dorsolateral prefrontal tract were related to increased negative functional coupling with the striatum and an age-related decrease in discount rates. Our results suggest that mainly increased con...
Intertemporal choice requires choosing between a smaller reward available after a shorter time de... more Intertemporal choice requires choosing between a smaller reward available after a shorter time delay and a larger reward available after a longer time delay. Previous studies suggest that intertemporal preferences are formed by generating a subjective value of the monetary rewards that depends on reward amount and the associated time delay. Neuroimaging results indicate that this subjective value is tracked by ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum. Subsequently, an accumulation process, subserved by a network including dorsal medial frontal cortex (dmFC), dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and posterior parietal cortex (pPC), selects a choice based on the subjective values. The mechanisms of how value accumulation interacts with subjective valuation to make a choice, and how brain regions communicate during decision making are undetermined. We developed and performed an EEG experiment that parametrically manipulated the probability of preferring delayed...
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Jan 30, 2014
Large individual differences exist in the ability to delay gratification for the sake of satisfyi... more Large individual differences exist in the ability to delay gratification for the sake of satisfying longer-term goals. These individual differences are commonly assayed by studying intertemporal preferences, as revealed by choices between immediate and delayed rewards. In the brain, reward-based and goal-oriented decisions are believed to rely on the striatum and its interactions with other cortical and subcortical networks. However, it remains unknown which specific cortical-striatal tracts are involved in intertemporal decision making. We use connectivity analyses in both structural and functional MRI to further our understanding of the relationship between distinct corticostriatal networks and intertemporal preferences in humans. Our results revealed distinct striatal pathways that are differentially related to delay discounting. Structural and functional connectivity between striatum and lateral prefrontal cortex was associated with increased patience, whereas connectivity betwe...
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015
Adolescence is a developmental period associated with an increase in impulsivity. Impulsivity is ... more Adolescence is a developmental period associated with an increase in impulsivity. Impulsivity is a multidimensional construct, and in this study we focus on one of the underlying components: impatience. Impatience can result from (i) disregard of future outcomes and/or (ii) oversensitivity to immediate rewards, but it is not known which of these evaluative processes underlie developmental changes. To distinguish between these two causes, we investigated developmental changes in the structural and functional connectivity of different frontostriatal tracts. We report that adolescents were more impatient on an intertemporal choice task and reported less future orientation, but not more present hedonism, than young adults. Developmental increases in structural connectivity strength in the right dorsolateral prefrontal tract were related to increased negative functional coupling with the striatum and an age-related decrease in discount rates. Our results suggest that mainly increased con...
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Papers by Christian Rodriguez