Association between gray matter volume in the caudate nucleus and financial extravagance: findings from voxel-based morphometry

Ryoichi Yokoyama; Takayuki Nozawa; Hikaru Takeuchi; Yasuyuki Taki; Atsushi Sekiguchi; Rui Nouchi; Yuka Kotozaki; Seishu Nakagawa; Carlos Makoto Miyauchi; Kunio Iizuka; Takamitsu Shinada; Yuki Yamamoto; Sugiko Hanawa; Tsuyoshi Araki; Hiroshi Hashizume; Keiko Kunitoki; Mayu Hanihara; Yuko Sassa; Ryuta Kawashima

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2014.01.026

Association between gray matter volume in the caudate nucleus and financial extravagance: findings from voxel-based morphometry

Neurosci Lett. 2014 Mar 20:563:28-32. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.01.026. Epub 2014 Jan 28.

Authors

Ryoichi Yokoyama¹, Takayuki Nozawa², Hikaru Takeuchi³, Yasuyuki Taki⁴, Atsushi Sekiguchi⁵, Rui Nouchi⁶, Yuka Kotozaki², Seishu Nakagawa⁷, Carlos Makoto Miyauchi⁸, Kunio Iizuka⁹, Takamitsu Shinada⁷, Yuki Yamamoto⁷, Sugiko Hanawa⁷, Tsuyoshi Araki², Hiroshi Hashizume³, Keiko Kunitoki¹⁰, Mayu Hanihara¹⁰, Yuko Sassa³, Ryuta Kawashima¹¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Kojimachi Business Center Building, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan. Electronic address: ryoriichi@gmail.com.
² Smart Ageing International Research Center, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
³ Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
⁴ Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Division of Medical Neuroimaging Analysis, Department of Community Medical Supports, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 2-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan; Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
⁵ Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Division of Medical Neuroimaging Analysis, Department of Community Medical Supports, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 2-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8573, Japan.
⁶ Human and Social Response Research Division, International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Aoba 6-6-4, Aoba, Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
⁷ Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
⁸ Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Graduate Schools for Law and Politics, The University of Tokyo, Hongo Bunkyo-ku 7-3-1, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan.
⁹ Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Department of Psychiatry, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Seiryo-machi 2-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 2-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8575, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Functional Brain Imaging, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Smart Ageing International Research Center, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan; Division of Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Seiryo-machi 4-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.

PMID: 24486253
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2014.01.026

Abstract

Consumer behavior differs among individuals; one such common individual difference is financial extravagance. Recent research suggests that the activation of the caudate nucleus plays an important role in consumer behavior. However, to the best of our knowledge, no study has investigated the specific relationship between the caudate nucleus and consumer financial extravagance. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the association between individual differences in financial extravagance and regional gray matter volume in the caudate nucleus by using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). We recruited 776 healthy, right-handed individuals (432 men and 344 women; mean age=20.7 ± 1.8) and used voxel-based morphometry and a financial extravagance questionnaire to determine the association between financial extravagance and gray matter structure in the caudate nucleus. Our measure of financial extravagance was based on the novelty seeking subscales of the Japanese version of the Temperament and Character Inventory. A multiple regression analysis including financial extravagance, age, sex, Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrix score, total intracranial volume, and novelty seeking subscales was conducted to examine what variables were related to regional gray matter volume in the region of interest within the caudate nucleus. A significant positive correlation was found between the obtained financial extravagance score and regional gray matter volume in the caudate nucleus. We found that structural variations in the caudate nucleus contributed to individual differences in financial extravagance. This finding may provide a new neuroscientific approach to understanding individual characteristics of consumers.

Keywords: Caudate nucleus; Financial extravagance; Gray matter structure; Voxel-based morphometry.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Caudate Nucleus / anatomy & histology*
Choice Behavior*
Exploratory Behavior
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Personality Inventory
Psychometrics
Risk-Taking*
Surveys and Questionnaires
Temperament