Abstract
Motivation and working memory are essential for learning progresses. Although neural substrates of motivation by monetary reward during working memory processing have been clarified to some extent, those by academic reward are still unclear. We here studied effects of academic reward on neural activities during working memory processing by using a 3.0 T functional magnetic resonance imaging in college students. Although the brain regions activated during working memory processing in the academic reward condition were totally overlapped with those in the monetary reward or control condition (condition without reward), addition or enlargement of activated brain regions were not found. Correlation analyses showed that neural activities of bilateral putamen during the academic reward condition were positively correlated with the baseline academic achievement motivation score and the task performance. Although the extents of the neural activities of bilateral putamen in the monetary reward condition were greater than those in the academic reward condition, the neural activities in that condition were not correlated with the motivation score or the task performance. Hence, putamen is a common brain region that is activated by monetary or academic reward and the brain region plays a crucial role in driving individual academic motivation and task performance of college students during working memory processing. [J Physiol Sci. 2007;57 Suppl:S41]
