Trait reward sensitivity and behavioral motivation shape connectivity between the default mode network and the striatum during reward anticipation

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 stonger 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, though 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.