Decision-making ability, psychopathology, and brain connectivity

• Published in: Neuron (Cambridge, Mass.) Vol. 109; no. 12; pp. 2025 - 2040.e7
• Main Authors: Moutoussis, Michael, Garzón, Benjamín, Neufeld, Sharon, Bach, Dominik R., Rigoli, Francesco, Goodyer, Ian, Bullmore, Edward, Fonagy, Peter, Jones, Peter, Hauser, Tobias, Romero-Garcia, Rafael, St Clair, Michelle, Vértes, Petra, Whitaker, Kirstie, Inkster, Becky, Prabhu, Gita, Ooi, Cinly, Toseeb, Umar, Widmer, Barry, Bhatti, Junaid, Villis, Laura, Alrumaithi, Ayesha, Birt, Sarah, Bowler, Aislinn, Cleridou, Kalia, Dadabhoy, Hina, Davies, Emma, Firkins, Ashlyn, Granville, Sian, Harding, Elizabeth, Hopkins, Alexandra, Isaacs, Daniel, King, Janchai, Kokorikou, Danae, Maurice, Christina, McIntosh, Cleo, Memarzia, Jessica, Mills, Harriet, O’Donnell, Ciara, Pantaleone, Sara, Scott, Jenny, Fearon, Pasco, Suckling, John, van Harmelen, Anne-Laura, Kievit, Rogier, Guitart-Masip, Marc, Dolan, Raymond J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 16-06-2021; Elsevier Limited; Cell Press
• Subjects: Acuity; adolescence; Adolescent; Affect; Antisocial Personality Disorder - physiopathology; Anxiety - physiopathology; Brain - diagnostic imaging; Brain - physiology; Child development; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive ability; computational psychiatry; decision acuity; Decision making; Decision Making - physiology; Depression - physiopathology; Depressive Disorder, Major - physiopathology; development; Factor Analysis, Statistical; Female; functional connectivity; Functional Neuroimaging; Humans; Hypotheses; Intelligence; Intelligence Tests; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mental disorders; Mental health; Neural networks; Neural Pathways; Neuropsychological Tests; Psychopathology; Psychosocial Functioning; Self Concept; Social Interaction; Teenagers; Young Adult; adolescence; decision acuity; computational psychiatry; development; functional connectivity
• ISSN: 0896-6273; 1097-4199; 1097-4199
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.04.019

Decision-making is a cognitive process of central importance for the quality of our lives. Here, we ask whether a common factor underpins our diverse decision-making abilities. We obtained 32 decision-making measures from 830 young people and identified a common factor that we call “decision acuity,” which was distinct from IQ and reflected a generic decision-making ability. Decision acuity was decreased in those with aberrant thinking and low general social functioning. Crucially, decision acuity and IQ had dissociable brain signatures, in terms of their associated neural networks of resting-state functional connectivity. Decision acuity was reliably measured, and its relationship with functional connectivity was also stable when measured in the same individuals 18 months later. Thus, our behavioral and brain data identify a new cognitive construct that underpins decision-making ability across multiple domains. This construct may be important for understanding mental health, particularly regarding poor social function and aberrant thought patterns.
•Young people have a general decision-making ability, which we call “decision acuity”•Decision acuity is reflected in how strongly connected certain brain networks are•Low decision acuity is associated with general social function psychopathology
Moutoussis, Garzón, et al. report that young people have a general decision-making ability, reflected in the functional connectivity of specific brain networks and reduced in those with symptoms of poor general social function. Thus, it may be important for understanding aspects of mental health and its basis in brain function.