Neural correlates in intertemporal choice of gains and losses

Intertemporal choices are decisions involving trade-offs among payoffs available at different points in time. We used event-related functional MRI to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying intertemporal preference for symmetric monetary gains and losses, by asking subjects to choose between 2 gains or 2 losses available at different time delays. We also explored how neural networks are modulated by time delay and by the monetary difference between the 2 alternatives. Our findings indicate that a common widespread neural network involving occipital, parietal, and prefrontal cortex is activated in the processing of both gains and losses, thus suggesting that the same brain structures support different economically relevant behaviors, independently of the sign of the outcome. Two different neural circuits were found to be engaged in processing immediate and delayed monetary outcomes. Regions of the emotional system, namely, posterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortex, were recruited when an immediate option (gain/loss) was chosen. In contrast, occipital and parietal cortex, in association with lateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, were engaged in delayed choices.