Neural networks involved in adolescent reward processing: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies

• Published in: NeuroImage (Orlando, Fla.) Fla.), 2015-11, Vol.122, p.427-439
• Main Authors: Silverman, Merav H., Jedd, Kelly, Luciana, Monica
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adults; Brain - physiology; Brain Mapping; Child; Female; Humans; Likelihood Functions; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Meta-analysis; Nerve Net - physiology; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Reward; Studies; Systematic review; Teenagers; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1053-8119; 1095-9572
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.07.083

Behavioral responses to, and the neural processing of, rewards change dramatically during adolescence and may contribute to observed increases in risk-taking during this developmental period. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies suggest differences between adolescents and adults in neural activation during reward processing, but findings are contradictory, and effects have been found in non-predicted directions. The current study uses an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) approach for quantitative meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging studies to: (1) confirm the network of brain regions involved in adolescents' reward processing, (2) identify regions involved in specific stages (anticipation, outcome) and valence (positive, negative) of reward processing, and (3) identify differences in activation likelihood between adolescent and adult reward-related brain activation. Results reveal a subcortical network of brain regions involved in adolescent reward processing similar to that found in adults with major hubs including the ventral and dorsal striatum, insula, and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Contrast analyses find that adolescents exhibit greater likelihood of activation in the insula while processing anticipation relative to outcome and greater likelihood of activation in the putamen and amygdala during outcome relative to anticipation. While processing positive compared to negative valence, adolescents show increased likelihood for activation in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and ventral striatum. Contrasting adolescent reward processing with the existing ALE of adult reward processing reveals increased likelihood for activation in limbic, frontolimbic, and striatal regions in adolescents compared with adults. Unlike adolescents, adults also activate executive control regions of the frontal and parietal lobes. These findings support hypothesized elevations in motivated activity during adolescence. •ALE meta-analysis is used to identify regions activated in adolescent reward processing.•Adolescents activate a similar subcortical network as adults in processing reward.•Differential engagement of brain regions is found for processing stages and valences.•Greater activation is found in limbic/striatal regions in adolescents relative to adults.•This finding informs dual-systems models of adolescent brain development.