Trait reward sensitivity and behavioral motivation are associated with connectivity between the default mode network and the striatum during reward anticipation.
James B Wyngaarden, Akanksha Nambiar, Jeffrey Dennison, Lauren B Alloy, Dominic S. Fareri, Johanna M Jarcho, David V Smith
Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience February 20, 2026 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-025-01396-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational fMRI study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 46 |
| Population | Adult participants completing a Monetary Incentive Delay task during fMRI |
| Measures | Monetary Incentive Delay task, reaction time modulation, self-report measures of anticipatory pleasure and reward sensitivity |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Humans Magnetic resonance imaging Brain mapping Reaction time Adolescent Female Young adult Anticipation, psychological Ventral striatum Functional connectivity Reward sensitivity Behavioral motivation |
| Key findings | Reward sensitivity interacted with anticipatory pleasure to predict behavioral motivation, with higher anticipatory pleasure associated with weaker motivation at greater reward sensitivity and lower anticipatory pleasure associated with stronger motivation at greater reward sensitivity. During high-stakes trials, reward sensitivity was associated with stronger default mode network-ventral striatum connectivity in highly motivated individuals and weaker connectivity in less motivated individuals, a moderation effect the authors report was consistent across gain and loss contexts with distinct directionality patterns. |
Abstract
Individuals vary substantially in their responses to rewarding events and their motivation to pursue rewards. While the ventral striatum (VS) plays a central role in reward anticipation, its functional connectivity with the default mode network (DMN)-critical for self-referential processing and value integration-potentially represents a key mechanism through which trait differences manifest in reward-related behavior. Here, we examine how trait reward sensitivity and state-level behavioral motivation relate to connectivity between the DMN and VS during reward anticipation. Forty-six participants completed the Monetary Incentive Delay task while undergoing fMRI, with trial types reflecting varying levels of reward and loss salience. Behavioral motivation, indexed by reaction time modulation across high-stakes and low-stakes trials, and self-report measures of anticipatory pleasure and reward sensitivity were assessed. Reward sensitivity interacted with anticipatory pleasure to predict behavioral motivation, such that individuals with higher anticipatory pleasure showed weaker behavioral motivation when reward sensitivity was greater, while those with lower anticipatory pleasure showed stronger behavioral motivation when reward sensitivity was greater. Critically, during high-stakes trials, reward sensitivity was associated with stronger DMN-VS connectivity in highly motivated individuals and weaker connectivity in less motivated participants. This moderation effect was consistent across gain and loss contexts, although with distinct directionality patterns. These findings provide novel insights into the neural correlates of individual differences in reward processing, demonstrating that trait reward sensitivity, anticipatory pleasure, and behavioral motivation are associated with distinct patterns of DMN-VS interactions during reward anticipation. These findings highlight the importance of considering motivational context when investigating reward-related neural mechanisms.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |