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Hippocampal neurogenesis promotes preference for future rewards

Molecular Psychiatry volume 26, pages 6317–6335 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

Adult hippocampal neurogenesis has been implicated in a number of disorders where reward processing is disrupted but whether new neurons regulate specific aspects of reward-related decision making remains unclear. Given the role of the hippocampus in future-oriented cognition, here we tested whether adult neurogenesis regulates preference for future, advantageous rewards in a delay discounting paradigm for rats. Indeed, blocking neurogenesis caused a profound aversion for delayed rewards, and biased choice behavior toward immediately available, but smaller, rewards. Consistent with a role for the ventral hippocampus in impulsive decision making and future-thinking, neurogenesis-deficient animals displayed reduced activity in the ventral hippocampus. In intact animals, delay-based decision making restructured dendrites and spines in adult-born neurons and specifically activated adult-born neurons in the ventral dentate gyrus, relative to dorsal activation in rats that chose between immediately-available rewards. Putative developmentally-born cells, located in the superficial granule cell layer, did not display task-specific activity. These findings identify a novel and specific role for neurogenesis in decisions about future rewards, thereby implicating newborn neurons in disorders where short-sighted gains are preferred at the expense of long-term health.

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Fig. 1: Neurogenesis promotes preference for delayed rewards.
Fig. 2: Effects of irradiation and running on neurogenesis and delay discounting.
Fig. 3: Loss of neurogenesis decreases Zif268-related activity in the ventral hippocampus.
Fig. 4: Delay-based decision-making increases dendritic complexity in new neurons.
Fig. 5: Delay-based decision-making restructures spines along the dorsoventral axis.
Fig. 6: Specific recruitment of adult-born neurons during delay-based decision making.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (JSS, SBF), the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research (JSS), a NARSAD Young Investigator Grant from the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (DRS) and the German Research Foundation (DRS). We thank Daniela Palombo for valuable feedback and discussion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Désirée R. Seib, Delane F. Espinueva, Oren Princz-Lebel, Erin Chahley, Jordann Stevenson, Timothy P. O’Leary, Stan B. Floresco & Jason S. Snyder

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  1. Désirée R. Seib
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  2. Delane F. Espinueva
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  3. Oren Princz-Lebel
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  4. Erin Chahley
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  5. Jordann Stevenson
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  6. Timothy P. O’Leary
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  7. Stan B. Floresco
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  8. Jason S. Snyder
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Correspondence to Jason S. Snyder.

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Seib, D.R., Espinueva, D.F., Princz-Lebel, O. et al. Hippocampal neurogenesis promotes preference for future rewards. Mol Psychiatry 26, 6317–6335 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-021-01165-3

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