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CREB1, decision-making, fMRI, genetics, reward
Abstract:
Cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) contributes to
adaptation of mesocorticolimbic networks by modulating
activity-regulated transcription and plasticity in neurons. Activity or
expression changes of CREB in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and orbital
frontal cortex (OFC) interact with behavioral changes during
reward-motivated learning. However, these findings from animal models
have not been evaluated in humans. We tested whether CREB1 genotypes
affect reward-motivated decisions and related brain activation, using
BOLD fMRI in 224 young and healthy participants. More specifically,
participants needed to adapt their decision to either pursue or resist
immediate rewards to optimize the reward outcome. We found significant
CREB1 genotype effects on choices to pursue increases of the reward
outcome and on BOLD signal in the NAc, OFC, insula cortex, cingulate
gyrus, hippocampus, amygdala, and precuneus during these decisions in
comparison with those decisions avoiding total reward loss. Our results
suggest that CREB1 genotype effects in these regions could contribute to
individual differences in reward-and associative memory-based
decision-making.
