Incorporating the social context into neurocognitive models of adolescent decision-making: A neuroimaging meta-analysis

Abstract

Neurobiological models of adolescent decision-making emphasize developmental changes in brain regions involved in affect (e.g., ventral striatum) and cognitive control (e.g., lateral prefrontal cortex). Although social context plays an important role in adolescent decision-making, current models do not discuss brain regions implicated in processing social information (e.g., dorsomedial prefrontal cortex). We conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis using the Multilevel peak Kernel Density Analysis (MKDA) method to test the hypothesis that brain regions involved in affect, cognitive control, and social information processing support adolescent decision-making in social contexts (N = 21 functional neuroimaging studies; N = 1292 participants). Results indicated that dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus/insula and ventral striatum are consistently associated with adolescent decision-making in social contexts. Activity within these regions was modulated by the type of social context and social actors involved. Findings suggest including brain regions involved in social information processing into models of adolescent decision-making. We propose a 'constructionist' model, which describes psychological processes and corresponding neural networks related to affect, cognitive control, and social information processing.

Figure 1

During adolescence, decision-making in social contexts elicits activation in brain regions implicated in social processing (dmPFC), affective sensitivity (insula, ventral striatum), and cognitive control (IFG).

Figure 2

(A) Social influence decisions > Social outcome decisions and other social tasks elicits activity in regions implicated in social processing (IPL, TPJ, pSTS), highlighting the contribution of the social brain, although at a slightly less stringent threshold of p < .02 (B) Social outcome decisions > Social influence decisions and other social tasks yields activation in the VS. (C) Decision-making with known > unknown others yields activity in the VS (D) Decision-making with unknown vs known others yields activation in the subgenual ACC/amygdala.