Correlations Between Brain Volumes and Decreased Self-Reported Delay of Gratification Regarding Money Choices

Self-perceptions of delay of gratification in MCI have not been examined longitudinally and we know nothing about brain volume changes that might be linked to them. For the first time, amnestic MCI patients' reports of delay of gratification were measured with the Delaying Gratification Inventory (DGI) money subscale at baseline, 6, and 12 months. Results revealed statistically significant differences in aMCI and matched healthy controls regarding their DGI money subscale scores, with lower delay of gratification in aMCI. Correlations between brain volumes and delay of gratification reports at all 3 time points support the importance mainly of the left and right medial frontal cortices. These preliminary findings show that self-reports may be useful in psychological assessment in older adults as they differentiate MCI from healthy individuals. Future studies should further investigate personality and sociocultural factors in the formation of such statements in healthy as well as clinical populations.