Work

Atypical reward anticipation in impulsive individuals: evidence from EEG and experiential delay discounting

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Impulsivity is characterized by impaired inhibition of thoughts and actions and a reduced ability to weigh the consequences of behavior. Importantly, impulsivity has been associated with altered reward processing and reward anticipation. Methods: = 54). Impulsive behavior was operationalized as the preference for smaller, immediate rewards over larger, delayed rewards with the delay varied from 1 to 30 s in different blocks. Results: We registered feedback-related fronto-central theta and centro-parietal delta power, although did not find any correlation between impulsive behavior and these neurophysiological measures of reward sensitivity. However, we found higher power spectral density in the alpha band over parieto-occipital region during reward anticipation in individuals exhibiting more impulsive behavior in our task. Conclusion: These results suggest that impulsive individuals have less efficient mechanisms of reward anticipation, potentially resulting in lower tolerance for waiting.

Source: Frontiers in Psychology

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1746734

Authors: Felix Zakirov, Olga Sysoeva

Institutions: Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology, Sirius University of Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801